Chronicles of Regeneration
by HeroR
Summary: The Journey of Regeneration has began. Now a young Chosen must travel across the land in order to become a true angel and save the world. However, another journey has also begun. One that will change fate of both worlds and end the reign of a god.
1. Day of Prophecy

**Well, here is the story that I have been promising for a couple of years now. A novelization of Tales of Symphonia. I would like to thank everyone who has been reviewing my stories since it was your feedback that have encouraged me to take on this monstrous task. I would also liked to thank my beta, zealousfreak27, for taking the time to review this story even though she knows nothing of this fandom. I hopes she sticks with me until the end, because this thing is long.**

**As for the story itself, if you have not read any of my previous Tales of Symphonia stories you really do not need to read them to follow along since this is a novelization. However, there will be theories, story threads, and even some characters that I will assume you already know from my other stories.**

**Spoilers: This story, of course, had major spoilers for the entire game of Tales of Symphonia and some from Dawn of the New World. You have been warned.**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the licenses to this story. I will only lay claim to any OC or theories.**

**With all that said, onward to the story.**

* * *

**Act 1: Journey of Regeneration**

**Chapter 1: Day of Prophecy**

"_You speak like the hero, Mithos. He was a sublime idealist. He_

_ended the Ancient War by insisting there was a way for the two warring_

_countries to coexist in peace. Are you saying you can become the next Mithos?_"

-Tiga, Tales of Symphonia

* * *

The monster roared in his ears and he could see blood. He heard someone calling a name. The voice sounds familiar, but he could no longer remember who it was.

He approached the monster with something in his hands. He yelled something, but no sound came out. The monster turned and stared at him. He couldn't see it clearly because of the darkness, but its eye glowed a blood soaked red. He was frozen in fear, but felt his mouth move again.

The monster glared at him for a few moments before it lunged. This time, he heard himself scream. Soon, he was aware of nothing.

* * *

Lloyd shot awake as sweat covered his face. He was literally shaking as the last of the dream faded into the back of his memory. It had been awhile since he had one of those monster dreams. What was scarier, however, was this was not the worst version he had had of it. He could never understand why he even had them. He attempted to remember the details, but like all the other times, it had faded to the deepest part of his mind.

Lloyd looked at the sky and saw it was daybreak. He still had some time before he needed to go to Iselia, but he couldn't back to sleep either. He hated having these dreams on a school day. Especially when he had several more hours of sleep.

He gave a short sigh as he got out of bed. He took a short wash in his private bathroom as he attempted to clear his mind. It still amazed him that of all the people he knew in Iselia he was one of the few with indoor plumbing. Dirk said it was because it was expensive and it was cheaper to build public bathroom. He didn't know how anyone could wash up or answer the call of nature all the time with other people around. To him, bathroom was private and served to help him get his thoughts together.

By the time he left the bathroom, the nightmare was all but forgotten, which was fine by Lloyd. He then continued to dress himself in his now standard pants and jacket that Dirk made for him just this year. He loved his new outfit since it was the mark of him coming of age.

For dwarves, the age of adulthood was seventeen and all apprentice craftsmen were given a special jacket to mark the moment. Unlike the leather outfit he wore for most of his preteens, this one had steel woven sewed into the fibers, Dirk's specialty; although it took him a couple of weeks to get used to the extra weight.

The jacket, boots, and the gloves were also all made from a fire and heat resistance material that could only be found within the dwarf kingdom. He still wasn't sure if Dirk actually had gone back to his old home at some point or if he just had the material lying around. Regardless, the material felt nice and breathed wonderfully, which was how he was able to wear it even when he helped Dirk with the furnace. It also did a good job keeping him warm all through the winter.

His pants were nothing special, but Dirk started to make him wear thin long johns under them. It was made from the same fire resistance material as the rest, except not as thick for obvious reasons. He supposed when one dealt with a furnace that could reach well over four-thousand degrees on a daily basis, you want heat resistance stuff.

He made sure his exsphere was covered and his ribbons were straight before he went downstairs. Since Dirk never seemed to sleep, he was there in the kitchen preparing breakfast.

"Hey, dad," Lloyd greeted.

"Lloyd, you're up early," Dirk said in a knowing voice. He knew it was the dream again since that was the only reason Lloyd would wake up on his own.

"Yeah..." Lloyd said slowly. "I don't really want to talk about it."

Dirk nodded. "Well sit down and I'll get you something to eat. A full belly usually makes things better."

Lloyd nodded as he took his seat at the table. There was a long moment of silence before anyone felt the need to talk again.

"You know, I saw Ms. Sages yesterday. She said you're still not doing well in school," Dirk suddenly said. "If you don't like school Lloyd, you don't have to go."

Lloyd had to keep himself from smiling. Dirk was not against him going to school, but couldn't understand why he went. From what Dirk told him, dwarves had no public schooling and it was the parents and craftsmen's job to teach their children. To him, learning about things you can't actually use in real life or doesn't steer towards your profession was a waste of time.

"I just enjoy going," Lloyd answered. "I get to hang out with other people my age and learn society skills."

"I think you mean social skills," Dirk corrected gently.

Lloyd blushed at the mistake. "An...anyway, it's not all my fault. The homework the Professor gives is hard. You saw it."

Dirk said nothing for a moment as he minded the stove. "Well, why don't you ask your elf friend, Genis, to help you or even Colette? She gets halfway decent marks."

Lloyd sighed as he tapped the table. "Genis tries to explain things, but he always use big words. Colette tries, but she can be kind of confusing and distractive easily."

"Maybe public school is not for you," Dirk said.

From Dirk's personal experience, Lloyd needed a lot of individual attention. It was not so much that he was slow, but he had a short attention span and was impatient. If left on his own, Lloyd would have burnt or cut his hand off by now. Thank Origin that he was a little better now. Lloyd also tended to be a more hands on person and learned better with things he could actually touch and feel.

"Man, I would never hear the end of it from Genis," Lloyd whined.

"You have to do what's best for yourself," Dirk said as he put breakfast on the table.

Lloyd didn't wait for Dirk to sit down before he began to eat. It was a simple dish of eggs, toasts, and grits. Like everything Dirk made, it had a slight metal taste to it. It was something that annoyed him when he was younger, but he didn't mind it anymore. In fact, there were some foods that he missed the steel taste in like vegetable soup, grits, and oatmeal.

Dirk shook his head as he watched him eat. Frank called it the teenager's eating habits that all humans go through. He just thought Lloyd loved to eat.

Once Lloyd finished inhaling his food, he picked up his wooden swords. "I'm going to practice a little before school." He then walked out the door.

The day was clear and sunny. It was the perfect beginning for spring, which officially started today.

He got his swords into position and started his sets. None of the steps were formal, but he learned them on his own by watching the guardsmen practice in the village and his own natural skill. Next to crafting, swordsmanship was his love. It was one of the few things that could clear his mind. Which was welcomed after the rude awakening.

Lloyd got so into his sets that he completely lost all track of time. It wasn't until Dirk stepped out of the house did he become aware of the outside world again.

"You look good," Dirk complimented.

Lloyd stopped and gave a cocky smile. "Thanks, dad."

"Although, shouldn't you be gone by now?" Dirk asked.

"What do you mean?" Lloyd asked in confusion.

"Well, it's fifteen minutes to eight," Dirk stated.

Dammit, he was late. "Noishe, here boy!" Lloyd called in a hurry.

Noishe came running towards his side. He appeared to be laughing at him.

"This isn't funny, Noishe," Lloyd whined as he jumped on the dog. "Raine will skin me alive if I'm late again."

Noishe gave a loud bark before he took off into the forest.

"Have a good day, Lloyd!" Dirk called as they disappeared into the distance.

He stood there for a long moment as the breezed ruffled his hair. "So, the day has finally come." He then bowed his head before he walked back inside the house.

Noishe wasted no time as he ran through the woods. The monsters were still not out yet, which made the trip smooth. Within ten minutes, they were at the gate of Iselia. The guards immediately pointed their spears at Lloyd when they saw him approaching.

"Who goes there!" the first guard shouted.

"It's me!" Lloyd said quickly as he jumped off of Noishe.

The second guard chuckled as he moved out of the way. "It's just Lloyd. Late for school again."

"Shut up!" Lloyd shouted as he ran passed them. The other townspeople kindly moved out of his path, since this was almost a daily occurrence.

Without a moment to spare, Lloyd busted into the schoolhouse and ran into the main classroom.

"Lloyd Irving, you're late again," a voice scolded.

"Sorry Professor, I lost track of time," Lloyd said. Despite the long run here, he was barely out of breath.

Raine shook her head as she stared at her tardy student. She was a couple inches shorter than Lloyd, but the way she carried herself made her seem like a giant. She wore the standard teacher's outfit which was an alter version of the Church of Martel's robes, except hers was orange with black highlights.

What really made her stand out, however, was her short silver hair that came down to her shoulders. It matched her pale skin and icy blue eyes. She had an otherworldly look and feel, which was to be expected since she was an elf. They were said to be the wisest of all the races in the world, which made Raine seem like the perfect teacher.

Raine finally gave a sigh in defeat. "Given what day it is, I will excuse you for today."

Lloyd let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Professor."

"Take your seat," Raine ordered.

Lloyd didn't have to be told twice as he practically ran to his seat. Raine had a tendency of changing her mind. He took his sit right next to Colette's desk, who smiled kindly at him.

"You suck," a kid whispered in a cough in front of him. Lloyd had to fight the urged not to snap as his friend, who he was sure was grinning.

Genis never had to worry about being late since he was the Professor's brother and it was nearly impossible for him not to be in school. Not to mention that he actually enjoyed studying, something Lloyd could never understand. To Genis, looking through an advances math book was as much fun to him as it was for Lloyd to sculpt something out of wood. Then again, a teacher raised him.

"Okay class, please take out your history homework," Raine said. "We will review everything you have questions on."

"Skit," Lloyd muttered in dwarven. He knew he had forgotten something last night. He was so busy with Colette's present, which he hadn't even finished, that he had forgotten all about his history homework.

"Lloyd, you've forgotten your homework again," Raine stated in a neutral tone.

"Aw, well..." Lloyd started.

Raine pointed to the back of the room. "In the back Lloyd and hold the buckets."

"The buckets too?" Lloyd whined.

"You were late and you have once again forgotten your homework," Raine scolded. "I was trying to be lenient with you this entire week, but you just took advantage of it. Now, to the back."

"Yes, Professor," Lloyd said as he stood up. "Det är så orättvist," he muttered.

"It's maybe unfair, but you brought it all on yourself," Raine said, causing Lloyd to flinch.

He kept forgetting that Raine knew dwarven. She was not completely proficient at the language, but she knew enough to catch Lloyd's snide remarks.

This time Genis didn't hold back a giggle.

"Do you wish to join him, Genis?" Raine asked firmly.

Genis flinched when he heard the question. "No, Raine."

Raine nodded in satisfaction. "Okay, does anyone have any questions about the homework?"

Several hands went up.

"Okay then, Liz, what is your question?" Raine asked as she looked towards a girl with light brown hair.

"Professor, I'm kind of confused about the history of the Desians," Liz said. "Where did they actually come from, and why do they hate humans, and the Goddess Martel?"

Raine nodded. "Good question. Much about the Desians are still unknown. What we do know is that they are primarily run by half-elves, although humans have been known to help them in their cause. These humans are known by the Church as the Fallen."

"Why would any human help the Desians?" one of the students asked.

"I would prefer if you raised your hand first, but I'll take this question," Raine said. "Some people don't believe in the Goddess Martel and see the Desians as more as a force of government than an evil entity. Others help the Desians for personal gain."

Another child raised her hand as Raine called on her. "Does that mean that any person who doesn't believe in Martel helps the Desians?"

Raine shook her head. "Of course not. Life is rarely that black or white. There are good people who despise and fight against the Desians who don't believe in Martel or the Church. As the Church of Martel teaches, however, these people are more prone to fall off the righteous path and be led astray. But they're not evil by nature."

Lloyd physically recoiled at those words. It didn't help that Raine glanced at him during her speech. In the classroom he was the poster child for the nonbelievers.

"Yes, Tommy," Raine called another student.

"You said it isn't black or white, but since almost all Desians are half-elves, doesn't that mean all half-elves are evil?" Bobby asked.

Raine attempted to keep a straight face as she turned to look at Genis from the side of her eye. He had put his head down and was trying to look away. "No, like nonbelievers, they are plenty of half-elves who hate what the Desians have done. Much like humans, there are both good and evil half-elves in the world." She paused for a second. "I think that's enough for now. Let's move on to the next subject. I assume everyone knows what day it is today."

The entire room clamored in excitement.

"Today is Colette's birthday!" one of them exclaimed. "Which means the prophecy will be happening soon!"

This struck Lloyd dumb. He had completely forgotten that today was the Day of Prophecy that everyone was talking about. He knew today was Colette's sixteen birthday, but he never really made the connection. Since he didn't worship in that faith, he tended to forget dates like these.

Raine smiled. "Yes, the Day of Prophecy is a special day for the entire world. This is the day the Chosen One is brought before the angels and given their task to regenerate the world. To fully understand the scoop of the Journey of Regeneration, let us study the very first Chosen's journey. Does anyone know who the first Chosen was?"

A few hands went up.

"Cho...Colette, can you please answer the question," Raine said. It was getting harder to call Colette by her given name with the event that was supposed to happen today.

"The first Chosen was my ancestor, Spiritua," Colette said. "She was chosen by the angel's heart known as the Cruxis Crystal. She then went to the holy church of the old capital and received the oracle of the angel, Titus."

"Correct." Raine nodded. "Her journey was well documented by one of her companions. Before he died, he gave the documents to the Emperor of the Sylvarant Dynasty for safekeeping. However, about three-hundred and fifty years ago the capital of the Sylvarant Dynasty, Terrako, was destroyed by the Desians and the royal family was all but killed off. The documents may had been lost forever if a group of brave priests haven't given their lives to smuggle the journal out of the city. These documents are known today as the Book of Regeneration."

By this time, Lloyd had long since dozed off. He didn't mean to, but he was still tired from waking up so early. Professor Raine was also so boring when she was explaining something. She tended to go into far too much detail on one subject, especially history. She was like a walking book, except you couldn't close her.

"Lloyd Irving, wake up!" a loud voice rang through his consciousness. "Lloyd!" the voice shouted again, even louder. He still wasn't ready to wake up. He then felt something hard and dusty hit him, snapping him back into consciousness.

The world was a blur for a second as the room slowly refocused and he could hear muffed giggles. Lloyd dimly noticed the sun was in a different position in the classroom, showing he had been out for a while. He turned his head to see Raine walking towards him in fast strives. She looked anything but pleased with him.

"How do you manage to sleep standing?" Raine asked in both annoyance and curiosity.

Sleep still hasn't fully left Lloyd's brain as he stared stupidly at his teacher. "...Oh Professor Raine. Eh...is class over?" He didn't think he was asleep that long, but it felt like it. Especially since his arms felt like lead from holding the water buckets for so long.

Raine sighed as she turned around, deciding it was best not to bother. "Never mind. Let's have someone else answer the question." She then glanced around the room looking for someone to call on. She saw her little brother looking like he was going to bust a gut from holding in his laughter. "Genis, how about you?"

Genis quickly recomposed himself as he attempted to get serious. "Yes, Raine." He cleared his voice as he prepared his answer. "Mithos, the hero, brought about the end of the Ancient War in the Holy Ground of Kharlan."

Raine made it back to her desk and nodded in approval. The question was such a basic one, however, that anyone passed the age of nine should know it. It was one of the few subjects that Lloyd actually did know, which was why she wanted him to handle the question and build up his confidence. "Correct. Afterwards, Mithos the Hero, formed a pact with the Goddess Martel to seal away the Desians whom caused the war."

"But the Desians came back and are now causing everyone to suffer!" Lloyd suddenly exclaimed, fully awake now. His eyes burn with anger.

Raine hid a frown as she looked straight at Lloyd. One of the few subjects that Lloyd liked in history, besides the stories of Mithos, was anything that talked about the Desians. Every time Raine mentioned them, even in passing, he would get this raging look in his eyes. Given what the Desians had done to people, it was understandable. But it seemed deeper with Lloyd.

"We covered that in class last time, remember? When the Seal weakens the Desians reappear. Just like they have now," Raine said in a calming voice, never turning her eyes away from him.

Lloyd calmed down and lost all his anger. He instead looked down at the floor. "I…I knew that. I…I just forgot…" It wasn't completely true, but he knew he overreacted again.

Raine gave him a small smile before continuing. "Today is the Day of Prophecy. It is a very important day which the Chosen of Mana will receive an oracle from the Goddess Martel. Now, Chosen One…Colette." She really needed to stop doing that. Colette had been her student for the past seven years. She was more than just the Chosen to her.

"Yes, ma'am?" Colette asked as she stood up. Apparently, she already knew what the question would be.

Raine quickly cleared her thoughts. "Tell us about the journey of world regeneration."

Colette gave a small nod. "It is a journey to seal the Desians. Upon passing the trials of the Goddess Martel, the summon spirits that protect the world awaken, and mana is restored."

Raine didn't hear Colette's complete answer since she noticed that Lloyd had once again fallen asleep. She was tempted to throw something at him again, but decided to let it pass. She really needed to have a long talk to Dirk about Lloyd.

"Correct. I suppose we should expect the Chosen herself to know the answer to that one. Mana depletion is the cause of the current food shortages and droughts. It is said that this occurs because the Desians consume vast amounts of mana in their Human Ranches," Raine explained as she looked over the class, who were all taking notes.

True to form, Lloyd jumped awake again at the mention of Desians. Raine almost shook her head at his selective hearing. She did notice that Colette glanced worriedly at Lloyd. She had noticed this trend long ago.

Raine briefly wondered if Lloyd's lack of faith was the cause of some of his reluctant to learn about the Regeneration Journey and the meaning behind it other than to destroy the Desians.

A bright flash of light broke her musing and she quickly looked out the window. The rest of the class got up and ran towards the window to get a better look.

"What was that?" Lloyd asked. He wanted to look too, but didn't want to risk Raine's wrath for putting down the buckets.

Colette's eyes widened. "That's..."

The time had finally come. Raine glanced at the clock. It was midday, just as the priest had predicted. "Settle down," she firmly ordered. "It would seem that the time for the oracle has come. I will go and check on the chapel. Everyone, stay here and study on your own. Understood?" She knew none of the kids, not even Genis, would actually study. But she still had to at least try.

"I'll go with you, Professor!" Colette exclaimed as she ran towards her teacher.

Raine gently put a hand on her shoulder. "No, Colette. If it is the oracle, the priests will come here for you. Wait here with everyone else."

If the trial was happening now, Raine was in no position to protect Colette. As the Chosen, Colette was trained to fight, but she was not a front line fighter and Raine couldn't do the job. If they were attacked, Raine would be nearly helpless to protect her.

Colette looked ready to say something, but then simply nodded her head.

Raine patted her before she ran out the schoolhouse. The rest of the village was transfixed as well by the display of light.

"The day has finally come!" one of them cheered. "The end of the Desians is near!"

Raine ignored the crowd as she made her way to the temple. Usually, citizens were not allowed in this area. However, since she was a scholar, she was often granted special permission to explore the area.

It didn't take long after walking up the broken stone steps to see Phaidra standing by the entrance. The light from this distance was nearly blinding.

"Professor Sage, I'm glad you made it," Phaidra said. She was near tears as she looked towards the light. "I didn't think I would live to see this day. It's really happening."

Raine nodded. "The Chosen is back at the school house waiting for the priests. With your permission, I want to check ahead."

Phaidra gave Raine a worried looked. "It could be dangerous. Monsters are said to appear when the Chosen's trial starts."

"I'll be alright," Raine assured. "I won't be gone long."

Phaidra sighed in defeat. "Very well. Just be careful, Professor."

Raine began to go inside. "I didn't live this long by not being careful," she said under her breath.

The other priests gathered around Phaidra. "We should get the Chosen now. The sooner the trial starts, the sooner this world shall be saved."

Phaidra nodded. Without warning, the town bell began to ring, echoing throughout the small village. Terror hit Phaidra's heart when she heard it. That bell was rung for only one reason.

"Desians," Phaidra whispered.

* * *

**First chapter is done. Hope you enjoyed even though things starts out a little slow. The action begins next chapter.**

**Until next time.**


	2. Kratos Aurion

**This was a hard chapter to write, mostly because the dialog for this part of the game is weird. I have never realized how wacky the game script was until I started to read it myself. Really, both Lloyd and Colette comes off as idiots in some parts of the conversations, although I did attempt to fix things so the dialog flowed better. Not sure if I succeeded, but I did my best.**

**Anyway, thank you all for you reviews, favorites, hits, and alerts. I am happy that you guys like the story so far. I once again want to thank my beta, zealousfreak27, for all her hard work. I also pray for her safety since she will be leaving the country soon.**

**Now, onward to the chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Kratos Aurion**

* * *

Once he was sure Raine was gone, Lloyd quickly put down the buckets.

"Man, those things are heavy," Lloyd complained as he stretched his sore muscles. It sucked that Raine always made him hold them for several hours. Most of the other kids got an hour at most.

"You wouldn't have to hold them all the time if you just came to class on time and did your homework. Raine even gives credit just for turning it in," Genis said.

Lloyd stuck his tongue at the elf. Genis looked very much like his sister. They shared the same icy blue eyes and silver white hair. He remembered getting into some trouble with Raine when she was new because he called Genis her son.

Their style of clothes, however, couldn't be more different. Genis preferred to wear short-sleeved shirts and shorts even during the winter. It didn't get too cold around here, but still. He was currently wearing his favorite blue shirt with black highlights with the pants to match.

"Well, I was busy last night," Lloyd muttered.

"With what?" Genis asked.

Lloyd glanced towards Colette who was looking a little down.

"Oh, you finally finished it," Genis said with a smile.

"Well..." Lloyd started.

Genis gave a loud sigh. He already knew the answer.

"Hey, Colette," Lloyd called as he walked towards his friend. "Why you look so sad?"

Colette shook her head. "It's just hard to believe it's finally here. This was the day I was born for."

"So, you become an angel today?" Lloyd asked.

"Lloyd, did you pay any attention in class?" Genis asked as he walked towards the duo. "On the Day of Prophecy, Colette is acknowledged as the Chosen by the angels. At the temple she will receive the angel's heart."

"Angel's heart, you mean the Cruxis Crystal," Lloyd said in wonder. "But why it's called the angel's heart?"

"It's called the angel's heart because the Cruxis Crystal is the soul of Martel's most loyal angel who gave their life for the benefit of the world," Colette explained. "When Cruxis acknowledged the Chosen, they inherit that angel's powers."

"Which we studied all this week," Genis said in a deadpan voice. "Or did you fall asleep through that lecture too?"

Lloyd's face turned red as he turned towards the pint-size elf. "Shut up, Genis!"

Colette looked at the clock in worry. "Professor Raine has been gone for awhile. I wonder if everything's okay."

Lloyd got a mischievous smile on his face. "Well, why don't we go and find out?"

"Raine will have our butts if she finds out," Genis said with a hint of fear. Although Raine didn't look strong, her hits stung.

"Oh come on," Lloyd said as his smile got even wider. "I'm really curious to find out what really happens to Colette when she receives the oracle other than what we had been told. They always talk about the Chosen of Regeneration and the Day of Prophecy, but no one tells us what really happens."

Genis had to admit that Lloyd had a point. The Day of Prophecy was an event that only happened once every three-hundred and fifty years. Many details about the ceremony had been long lost when the capital fell. Normal citizens were usually not allowed in the temple during the oracle reading, but he would give anything to be one of the few people to witness history.

At the same time, however, he didn't want to face Raine's wrath, which could be more fearsome than any Desian. "But my sister said to stay and study by ourselves."

Lloyd crossed his arms together. "It's research."

"That's just an excuse!" Genis exclaimed in annoyance.

Lloyd waved his hand dismissively. "So? An excuse is an excuse, right? Don't be so stuffy. You're coming too, right?" He then gave a slight smirk. "We're best friends, after all!"

Genis sighed, knowing he was defeated on this. However, he didn't feel too upset. He would never tell Lloyd, but he really did want to go.

Lloyd looked towards Colette, who was staring out the window. "Colette, want to come along, too?" Although he already knew the answer.

Colette snapped out of her stupor and smiled at him. "Okay. Where're we going?"

Lloyd chuckled. "Where else?" He stopped as he gave Colette a puzzled look. "You're directly involved in all of this. Aren't you curious?"

Colette bit her lip. "Hmm…are you curious about it?"

She was kind of surprised that Lloyd wanted to see the oracle, given that he didn't believe in Martel or the angels. A part of her hoped this meant that Lloyd was close to converting and seeing the light.

"Of course!" Lloyd exclaimed in both surprise in excitement.

Colette knew at that moment that Lloyd was more interested in seeing something different than seeing the glory of Martel. She felt a little disappointed, but didn't want to show it to Lloyd. In time, she knew he would see the truth.

"Okay, then I'll be curious about it, too," Colette said with a wide smile.

Lloyd paused for a moment at the oddness of the conversation. He shook his head as he turned towards Genis. "See? Dwarven Vow number four, don't depend on others. Walk on your own two legs."

Genis shook his head. "You always use the Dwarven Vows when you need an excuse."

Ignoring his friend. Lloyd pumped his fist into the air. "Let's get going to the temple!"

He led the small group out of the schoolhouse. The other kids watched them leave, but did little to stop them. The trio was well known for being troublemakers.

Lloyd almost wanted to run in excitement as the fresh air hit him. His joy was stopped short, however, when he realized the village was very quiet, save for the ringing of a bell. "What's going on and what's that bell?"

Genis looked around in concern. He could have sworn he heard people gathering when the light appeared. "Where did everyone go?"

Colette looked down in worry. "That's the warning bell. It's only rings for one reason." Before she could say anything further, Frank ran towards them. His face was beat red and his eyes were strained with worry. "Father!"

Genis turned to see the older man. "Frank!"

Frank went up to Colette and gave her a tight hug. "Thank the Goddess you're safe."

"Frank, what happened to everyone in the village?" Genis asked in a near panic.

Frank broke his embrace with Colette. "They all went into hiding when they heard the village's bell. The Desians invaded the village just a short while ago."

Lloyd gave a small growl. "The Desians, here! Did they..."

"No one was hurt, thankfully," Frank answered. "They passed through the village and headed straight for the temple."

Genis shook his head in horror. "Why would they do that? Iselia has a non-aggression treaty with the Desians."

"The Desians have no honor," Lloyd muttered. "Just looking at the Ranch should be enough to tell anyone that."

All the color suddenly drained from Colette's face. "Father, where's grandmother?"

Frank lowered his eyes. "She...she is at the temple preparing for the ritual."

Lloyd gave Frank a horrified look. "Phaidra's at the temple! But that's where the Desians are heading!"

Frank could see Lloyd's line of thinking. "The priests are there with Phaidra. There's no need to worry."

Lloyd stared at Frank, not believing his words. He had seen the Desians train enough at the Ranch to know that those priests stood no chance against them.

Frank turned his head away from Lloyd, sensing he could see through his lie. "Now, Colette..."

Colette nodded and gave a somber look. "I know. I promise to fulfill my duty as the Chosen."

Frank then turned back towards Lloyd and Genis. "Lloyd, Genis, you two should go on home before the Desians return."

"I'm worried about letting Colette go by herself. I'll go with her to the temple," Lloyd said. His voice left no room for argument. Colette may be the Chosen, but she was still one human against a unit of Desians. The people here may be willing to place their faith in the goddess, but he trusted his own swords more.

"Me too!" Genis exclaimed, losing all his early hesitation.

Frank looked between the two boys in wonder. He didn't want to send a bunch of kids to protect the Chosen. Lloyd may be strong, but he was reckless. Genis really was just a child, despite being an elf. This was no task for them.

At the same time, however, he didn't want to send Colette by herself to the temple. If she were killed, their world would be doomed. He also didn't want to lose his daughter in this way. He trusted the priests and Martel, but he just couldn't leave it to chance.

"Thank you," Frank said. "Just come back if anything happens."

Lloyd nodded his head. "I'll protect Colette with my life."

Frank gave a small smile. "I know you will, Lloyd. Take care of everyone. That includes Genis."

"Of course," Lloyd said as he turned towards his friends. "Let's go."

They then ran towards the village northern exit. They didn't get too far, however, when zombie like creature came out of the ground.

"That's..." Genis started in shock.

"It's a monster!" Lloyd finished as he removed his wooden swords. If he had known this would happen, he would have attempted to sneak his steel blades into town.

"I thought the northern region where the temple is located was a sanctuary!" Genis exclaimed in shock.

Colette bit her lip in thought. "It must be part of the trial. Martel's trial involves battling monsters."

"We don't have time to talk!" Lloyd said as he got into battle position. "Let's get this thing!"

He charged forward and delivered a vicious slash to the zombie's neck. He heard a loud crack, but the zombie was able to knock him aside with a sloppy backhand.

Colette got out her chakrams and threw her rings at the monster. Both of the chakrams hit their mark and cut off both of the zombie's arms. This didn't slow it down as it target Colette and began to slowly walk towards her.

It was too slow as Genis finished chanting his spell. "Fireball!" he yelled as he raised his kendama and a ball of fire shot out of it. The zombie was set on fire and seemed to scream in pain.

Lloyd moved in for the finishing blow. "Demon Fang!" he shouted as a wave of mana left his sword. The monster was hit dead on and was cut in half by the attack. The fire burned what was left away.

"That was easy," Lloyd chuckled as he put away his swords. It had taken him some time, but he could finally cut through things with his wooden swords using Demon Fang. Too bad it took so much effort and energy.

"Lloyd, you're amazing!" Colette exclaimed. She was still amazed by how much stronger Lloyd had gotten in recent years. He was far better than the trained soldiers in the village.

Lloyd blushed slightly as he looked at his clothed hand. "Ah, well…I owe it to this thing, though."

"Ah, that's right, the exsphere," Genis said.

Lloyd was very protective of it and only showed it to a few people he trusted. Lloyd had showed it to him about two years ago. He still wasn't sure how Lloyd gotten one since exspheres were mostly used by Desians and often seen as devil stones by the Church.

Lloyd nodded as he rubbed the cloth. "Yeah, it's designed for combat and brings out my maximum strength. Without this thing, I'd be nothing."

Colette shook her head. "But you're still strong." She had seen Lloyd fight before he started using his exsphere. He had always been strong and feared nothing.

Genis noticed the look on Colette's face and began to chuckle. "Yeah, at least his sword skills are good."

Lloyd snapped out of his musing as he glared at Genis. "What do you mean 'at least'!"

Before Genis could make another smart remark, another zombie came out of the ground.

"Damn, not another one," Lloyd moaned. This zombie also had a friend as a ghost appeared next to him. Lloyd got back into position. "Let's go!"

"Wait, Lloyd!" Colette exclaimed. "The Professor said magic is more effective than physical attacks against non-physical and spiritual monsters."

Lloyd stared at her dumbfounded. "Huh, really?"

Genis sighed as he rolled his eyes. "Really Lloyd. I thought you would have paid attention to that part since it dealt with fighting monsters."

Lloyd glared at Genis for a second before he refocused. "Okay, then, I'll leave the Ghost to Genis. I'll go for the Zombie!"

"Yeah!" Genis smirked, ready to do some damage.

Okay!" Colette said as she lifted her chakrams.

The zombie made its way towards Lloyd and he met it halfway, cutting into its stomach. Dust spilled out of the wound, disgusting Lloyd.

The ghost attempted to sneak behind Lloyd's, but was interrupted by a fireball heading straight for it. It barely dodged the attack and eyed Genis viciously.

"I missed!" Genis said in dismay.

The ghost disappeared and reappeared before Genis, ready to finish the child. Colette intercepted it as one of her chakrams hit it. It passed right through the ghost, but it gave Genis enough time to recollect himself.

Genis bounced his kendama several times as he concentrated on his spell. "Got you now, Fireball!" The attack hit the ghost point blank, leaving nothing behind.

Lloyd had just finished off the zombie himself as he took several deep breaths. It really sucked using wooden swords. He had to use so much mana to cut.

"Let's get going before more arrive," Lloyd advised.

No one argued as they finally left the village. The walk to the temple was short and oddly peaceful. It was almost like nothing was wrong, except for the trail of dead monsters that told them that the Desians were near. The sky also becoming brighter as they got closer to the temple.

Genis shivered as the wave of mana vibrated through his body. He had never felt so much before and he wasn't even near the light yet. This was truly the torch of Martel.

After a few minutes of walking, they finally arrived at the temple. It was an old brick building that towered several stories. Several flights of broken steps led the way to the temple's entrance and a small church that was built by the side of it. The light from the oracle rose from the dome on top of the temple and turned the sky into a purplish blue.

"Whoa, that light really is coming from the temple!" Lloyd exclaimed without thinking. He didn't know what to expect, but he didn't think a light could shine through solid stone like that.

Genis was too transfixed himself to say anything smart to Lloyd at that moment. "Then an oracle is going to be conveyed. Colette's going to be the Chosen of Regeneration," he whispered, nearing tears. This was the day the entire world had been waiting for.

Colette covered her eyes with her hands as she stared at the temple. "It's really, really bright!"

Both Lloyd and Genis were snapped out of their awe and stared at Colette for several seconds. Each wasn't sure what to say. Then again, Colette had a talent for ruining the moment.

"Say, Colette," Lloyd started slowly. "When this oracle is conveyed, you'll become the Chosen who will save the world, right?"

Colette turned to look at Lloyd.

This cued Lloyd to continue. "You're going to be like the hero, Mithos! So maybe you should act a little more…you know, Chosen-like."

Even though Lloyd didn't believe everything from the lore of Martel, he did believe in the stories of the great hero, Mithos. They were many Dwarven's stories about him and how he supposedly subdued the spirits themselves. There were even some tales that the dwarves told about Mithos that were not part of the Church's teachings, one of them being about Mithos' teacher, who was simply called the Beschermer.

Not much was known about him except he was part of the old mana tree and was favored by Origin. From what legend said, he was killed by an evil entity who wanted power over the Kharlan Tree. In vengeance, Mithos took up a pact with Origin and claimed revenge for his fallen teacher.

He had told this legend to Colette once and she had told him that those things never happened because they were not part of the stories of the angels. She also advised him to never repeat that story to anyone since it was considered blasphemy for some reason.

Colette nodded and smiled, understanding Lloyd's concerns. The priests had all but said the same thing. "Yeah, no problem. No problem."

Genis got on guard. "There's someone coming!"

Lloyd looked up to see a badly injured person limping down the stairs. Blood fell from several open wounds and his robe was all but destroyed.

"Chosen One!" the priest moaned as he collapsed on the stairs.

"Priest Mark!" Colette exclaimed as she ran by his side. She fell to her knees when she got close enough to him.

Mark coughed up some blood as he looked at Colette. "Chosen, the Desians broke the non-aggression treaty and attacked the temple. They want to stop the oracle and plunge our world into further darkness."

Genis shook his head in disgust as he stared at the dying man. "How could they? To spill the blood of a servant of Martel."

Mark stared directly at Colette. "Chosen One…quickly…the oracle…"

Lloyd's mouth nearly dropped open. There were Desians here to kill Colette and they still wanted her to rush into the temple in what could be her death. What was wrong with these people?

Colette nodded; her eyes hardened in determination. "I know."

Mark allowed himself to relax in Colette's arms. "Please…be careful…" His eyes slowly closed. "I regret that I will not…be able to pro…tect…the…Cho…sen." He then went completely limp and his breathing ceased.

Colette brought his hand together in a praying position and gave a silent prayer.

"Colette..." Lloyd started after she had finished.

"I'm going," Colette said as she stood up.

Lloyd knew that look all too well. Nothing could change her mind at this point.

"But Colette, there are Desians up there!" Genis yelled horrified. "They'll kill you if they find you!"

Colette didn't turn to face Genis. "I know, but I have to go. I'm the Chosen. My job is to accept the oracle on the Day of Prophecy." She then turned around and gave a quick glance at Lloyd and Genis. "The two of you, wait here, okay?"

Genis turned desperately towards Lloyd. "Are you just going to let Colette go by herself!"

Lloyd stared ahead towards the temple, his own eyes hardening. "I'm going, too. I won't let you go by yourself."

Colette turned completely around in surprise. "Are you sure?"

Lloyd gave a comforting smile. "Dwarven Vow number one, let's all work together for a peaceful world."

Genis nodded his head. "Count me in. Besides, I'm worried about Raine."

Colette looked to be near tears as she stared at her two friends. "Thanks, both of you."

"Thank us once we send those Desians packing," Lloyd said, clinching his fist. "I'll make them wish they never came here."

They ran up the flight of stairs and had their weapons ready. When they reached the top, they saw a small army of Desians. Phaidra was being physically held down by two of them as one viciously questioned her. He was bigger than the others and had a strange hairstyle. He also didn't wear the normal Desians armor.

"Make this easier on yourself, woman," the man said. "Don't make me kill anymore of your friends."

Phaidra stared defiantly at him. "Even if you kill me, I won't ever betray the Chosen. Your days are numbered in this world."

The man sighed. "Stubborn woman. I had hoped to do this without spilling too much blood."

"Grandma!" Colette exclaimed in fear.

Phaidra stared at Colette horrified. "RUN, COLETTE!"

Several of the Desians turned to face Lloyd's group. "Lord Botta, there she is!"

Botta turned to face them. He had an unusual grim look at he glared at Colette. "Chosen one, your life ends today." Despite the coldness of the words, there was a hint of pity in his voice.

Lloyd stepped in front of Colette. "I won't let you Desians get away with what you've done here!" He could feel his energy building inside his blades.

The Desians looked at each other for a moment before they began to laugh.

"Desians, huh?" one of them mocked.

"What's so funny!" Genis demanded.

The Desians smirked at them. "Well then, die at the hands of the Desians you so hate."

They brought out their swords and charged the group. Lloyd immediately released a Demon Fang, catching one of the Desians off-guard.

While Lloyd was holding the front, Colette threw her chakrams at several of the Desians. She aimed low, hitting their unprotected knees, causing them to stumble. Genis also cast several fireballs from the back, which distracted the others.

Several Desians attempted to break their lines and disable Genis, since he was the most dangerous. Lloyd was able to easily intercept them and take them out with several well place hits to their necks and arms. Within several minutes, almost all the Desians were either bruised, cut, burnt, or had fractured bones.

Botta watched the fight with mild annoyance as his men failing. He needed to bring better soldiers next time. It doesn't look good to be held back by a bunch of kids.

"Let me take over, Lord Botta," a large man said from beside him. He had been hiding near the temple's entrance just in case there was trouble. It always helped to come prepared.

Botta sighed. "Very well, Vidarr."

Vidarr stepped out of the shadows and walked towards his companions. "Fall back!"

The other Desians looked towards him and did what they were told.

Lloyd's mouth dropped when he saw the giant man. He held a hammer in one hand and a ball and chain the other. He also had a large sword on his back that he would had most likely used too if he had a third arm.

He also wore a thick armor that covered everything except his upper legs. He was also so huge that his weapons were held like toys. The hammer he was holding was easily as big as the one his dad used and Dirk had to hold it with both of his hands.

"Helig ko!" Lloyd exclaimed when the man got close enough. He had to be at least twice his size.

"Whe...where did this guy come from!" Genis yelled.

Vidarr swung his ball and chain around. "Don't get in our way!"

Lloyd resolved returned full force. "Genis, no matter what, protect Colette!"

Genis nodded as he tried to keep himself from shaking.

Vidarr glared down at them. "Very well, then die with the Chosen!" He brought the ball down and hit the ground with such force that the shock wave since them flying.

Lloyd regained himself and ran towards the giant. "Demon Fang!" The blade of mana hit Vidarr head on, but he barely flinched.

"So, you can use mana attacks," Vidarr noted. "Not bad for a mere human." He swung with his a hammer, nearly beheading Lloyd.

Colette attempted to attack Vidarr's unguarded upper legs, but he deflected the chakrams before they could reach him.

"Fireball!" Genis yelled as he cast his spell. The fireballs hit, but were absorbed by his armor.

"Pathetic," Vidarr mocked as he threw his ball and chain at Genis. He barely dodged, but he was cut up from the impact to the ground.

"Genis!" Colette exclaimed.

Lloyd growled as he moved in again. He hadn't perfected this attack yet, but this guy left him no choice.

Vidarr once again attempted to smash Lloyd with his hammer, which left him wide opened.

"Sonic Thrust!" Lloyd yelled as he thrust his sword into the soft area of Vidarr's side.

Vidarr grunted, but was not overly hurt by the attack. Lloyd was rewarded for his efforts by getting elbowed in his chest. He cried in pain as he fell pitifully to the ground.

"Lloyd!" both Colette and Genis screamed.

Lloyd coughed up some blood as he slowly stood up. "Dammit."

Vidarr looked down at him. "You have skills, but it's not enough to save the Chosen." He brought up his hammer for the finishing blow.

Lloyd growled in defiance, but was too weak to move at the moment. He turned towards his friends. "Genis, get Colette out of here!"

"Lloyd..." Genis whispered as he slowly stood up. Blood steadily dripped from his arm and legs.

Colette ran in to help her friend. "Leave him alone."

Vidarr turned his attention towards Colette. "Fool." He put down his hammer and brought his ball back up. He swung at right at Colette.

"NO, COLETTE!" Lloyd yelled helplessly.

Before the attack reached her, however, the weapon suddenly changed course and missed Colette. Before Vidarr knew what had happened he was knocked to the ground by a powerful wave of mana. It was so strong that it ripped through his armor like it was made of tissue paper.

"What the..." Lloyd muttered as he looked for the source of that attack.

He was shocked to see a man now standing in front of Colette. He was wearing purple armor and had spiky reddish brown hair. His eyes were a fiery red and his face was completely neutral.

He turned his back on Lloyd to look over Colette. "Are you alright?"

Colette numbly nodded.

"Who is this guy?" Lloyd asked himself. It was odd, but his back looked strangely familiar. He tried to wield the memory from the back of his mind, but it refused to come. "Who are you?" he shouted.

The man turned around and gave Lloyd a cold glare. Lloyd could feel his blood starting to run cold. "Get out of the way."

"What!" Lloyd exclaimed, losing his previous fear. Who does this guy think he was?

The man looked over his injuries and lifted his hand. "First Aid!"

Lloyd felt a warm wave of energy flow over his body and all his pain disappeared.

The man quickly did the same for Genis, who stared dumbfounded at him. "He can do magic?" he muttered. "But...he's a human."

Vidarr slowly stood up and glare at the new arriver. "You!"

The man turned to look at Vidarr. "It would seem that fate has not sided with you today."

Vidarr growled at him.

"Vidarr, fall back!" Botta ordered.

Vidarr was beyond listening as he ran towards the other man.

"Fool," the man said as mana built around him. When Vidarr got closed enough, he thrust his sword right through Vidarr's armor. The mana ripped through him with such force that blood splattered everywhere.

Vidarr screamed in horror as his gut was torn to pieces. He fall back and the ground shook when he landed. This time, he didn't get up.

Colette grasp from the brutality of the kill and Genis looked almost sick.

Lloyd stared wide-eyed at the stranger. That move he had just did was similar to his Sonic Thrust, except his was much stronger to the point that it made his version looked like a poke in the ribs.

Botta stared at his fallen ally for a moment before he looked at the other man. "I never thought you would show up." This was completely unexpected. His boss had never said he would come. "Damn, retreat for now!" he ordered as they all fall back.

The man made no move to stop them as they ran from the temple grounds. Once they were gone, the entire area was quiet. No one was quite sure what to say.

"Is everyone alright?" the man asked, breaking the silence. He scanned everyone for any injuries that he may have missed when he first arrived. "Hmm, no one seems to be hurt."

Lloyd picked himself off the ground as something shiny on the man's hand got his attention. "Is that an exsphere?" he whispered to himself.

Phaidra walked toward the strange man and bowed humbly. "How can I ever thank you for saving the Chosen?"

Kratos glanced towards Colette and carefully looked her over. "I see. So this girl is the next Chosen."

Colette slowly regained her senses as she attempted to banish the scene she had just seen, although Vidarr's bloody and lifeless body was making that kind of hard. "I have to go accept the oracle! Grandmother, I'm going to undergo the trial now."

Lloyd finally realized that people were talking as he broke his stare from the man. "What trial?"

The man casually cleaned the blood off his sword with a wet rag as he answered. "The monsters, I would assume. An evil presence radiates from inside this chapel." Once the blade was clean, he sheathed it again.

Phaidra nodded. "Yes, that is correct. The Chosen is to receive judgment from heaven. But the priests that were to accompany her fell at the hands of the Desians." Her head lowered, but now was not the time to grieve.

Lloyd looked over the bodies of the priests that were on the ground. He had been so focused on the battle that he had completely failed to notice them until now. His heart filled with anger as he stepped forward. "Then I'll take on the job of protecting Colette."

Phaidra stared at him for a long moment. "Lloyd, I would be uneasy with just you."

The man, who had looked bored through most of the conversation, looked up and stared at Lloyd. It was not the same once over that he had given Lloyd earlier. Instead, they were a look of familiarity as he scanned every inch of him. The look unnerved Lloyd.

"Your name is Lloyd?" the man finally asked.

Lloyd couldn't help but noticed that the man sounded surprise for some reason. "Yeah, but who are you to ask for my name?"

His eyes narrowed at the borderline rude question, but he eventually broke his stare. His demeanor quickly returned to that bored expression. "My name is Kratos Aurion, a mercenary."

* * *

**Well, Kratos finally makes his grand entrance. Poor Lloyd, Kratos made him look like a noob.**

**KF2104, sorry for keeping you waiting, but I want to make sure this story does justice to this great game. I hope you keep reading and enjoy the ride.**

**freakyanimegal, I understand your worry. I try to balance staying true to the game while writing my own theories and plot. I can promise that this is not a copy and paste of the game script, otherwise you can go to gamefaq instead of wasting time here. Yes, there is dialog from the game, but I balance it out by showing the thought process of the characters and the story does branch out as we go further in. Right now, things are kind of slow since we are still in the prolog.**

**With all that said, until next chapter.**


	3. Oracle

**Sorry for the late chapter this week and for missing the update last week. My beta left the country and she did not have time to check this chapter before she left. Hope this chapter is nice and long enough to make up for the lost time.**

**Anyway, thank you all for the reviews, hits, and favorites. I know things are a little slow at the moment, but the beginning of any story takes some time to move, especially a JRPG.**

**Now, onward to the story.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Oracle**

* * *

Phaidra stared at Kratos. "A mercenary? I haven't seen too many of your type around here."

"I finished escorting some clients to this area when I saw the light coming from this location," Kratos said. "I wanted to find the source of the light and I found myself here."

"It was the Goddess' will that you came here in time," Phaidra said. "Otherwise, the Chosen could have been killed."

Kratos looked around the area. "Since there is no one else, I would gladly accept escorting the Chosen. As long as you can pay me, of course."

Phaidra gave Kratos a sour look before she put her head down. "Under the circumstances, I have little choice." She sighed in defeat as she looked towards Kratos. "Please guide the Chosen safely through the temple."

Kratos gave a small nod. "It's a deal."

"W…wait, I'm going, too!" Lloyd exclaimed. He didn't care for being ignored and showed up by this mercenary who came out of nowhere. Besides, what did this man care about Colette's life other than a quick payday?

Kratos glared at Lloyd with a hint of annoyance. "Lloyd, you'll only get in the way. Be a good boy and wait here."

Lloyd's entire body stiffened in shock as he stared at Kratos. He then began to shake as rage built in his body. "What did you say?"

Kratos gave him a sideline look. "Did I not make myself clear?" The question came out as almost a mock, but his face remained unchanged from his dispassionate demeanor. "You're a burden, go home."

Colette shook her head as she watched her friend's anger mount. She had seen that look on Lloyd's face before. It was the one he always gave just before he said or did something regrettable. She didn't know Kratos, so she wasn't sure if he would show any restraint if Lloyd gave into his anger.

"Um…Mr. Kratos, would it be okay to take Lloyd along, too?" Colette asked in her most gentle voice.

Lloyd's anger immediately disappeared as he stared at Colette.

Kratos looked equally surprised. "But..."

Colette began to tap her hand together nervously. "Please, I get nervous when Lloyd's not around."

Kratos' face became impossible to read as he stared between the two. A formed of realization seemed to come to him just before he turned his back on the two. "Do as you wish." He then moved towards the temple's entrance.

"Thank you, Colette," Lloyd said gratefully.

Colette just smiled as she went to join Kratos.

Lloyd then turned towards Genis who was all but forgotten. His head was down and his eyes were narrowed like he was in deep thought. "Let's go, Genis."

Genis looked up in surprise. "What, I'm going to!"

Lloyd smirked. "Of course."

Kratos let out a loud sigh. "This isn't a field trip, you know."

Colette got in front of the group as they walked into the temple. It was dark and somewhat humid. Only the torches on the wall gave any light. The temple seemed to be in fairly poor condition, which was strange considering its importance. There were many old pictures on the wall that showed angels, what Lloyd assumed to be the summon spirits, and the symbol of the Church of Martel.

Lloyd looked around in awe. It reminded him of the church that the people worship in. "So this is what the inside of the temple is like."

Genis was equally impressed as he touched the walls. "Colette, you've been in here many times, right?"

Colette nodded as she looked around worriedly. "Yeah, but it seems different than usual."

Kratos kept his back turned to them as he looked ahead. "I sense the presence of monsters. Don't let your guard down."

Lloyd gave Kratos a sour look. "We can handle a few measly monsters."

Kratos turned to face Lloyd and again gave him that look. Lloyd felt like Kratos was looking into his very being and it was not a good feeling. Kratos' eyes suddenly crooked toward Lloyd's swords and his eyes seemed to widen slightly. "Lloyd…are your sword techniques self-taught?"

Lloyd began to beam as he puffed his chest in pride. "Yeah, they are."

Kratos stared at Lloyd for a couple more seconds before he reached into his traveling bag. He pulled out a small green book and walked over to Lloyd. He then handed Lloyd the booklet.

"What's this thing?" Lloyd asked as he took the book.

"If you are going to use a sword, then at least learn the basics," Kratos said neutrally. He saw that fire returning into Lloyd's eyes. "You want to protect the Chosen, don't you?" he added, trying to dilute Lloyd's anger.

It helped a little, but Lloyd was still pissed at the cocky mercenary. "You think you know so much!"

Kratos deciding to ignore the last comment, knowing it was just Lloyd having a tantrum. From what he had seen, it would pass quickly. He saw that his theory was correct when he saw Lloyd scanning over the book.

"Excuse me?" Genis spoke up. It had taking him some time to build the courage to talk to the mercenary.

"Yes?" Kratos answered.

"Um, I was wondering. How can you use magic?" Genis asked. "I mean you're a human."

"That's unusual?" Lloyd asked, putting down the book.

"Humans can't use magic, unless they have elven blood," Genis said. "Even so, it becomes harder for each generation after to use magic."

"I had a good master and I do have some elven blood," Kratos said.

Genis began to frown. "But, I don't sense any from you. You feel like a pure blooded human."

"Are you sure humans can't use magic?" Lloyd asked. "I mean I can use mana like my Demon Fang and Sonic Thrust."

"Humans can manipulate mana to a point, but it takes more than that to control and use magic," Genis explained as he rubbed his head. "It's hard to explain. It's more of a sixth sense that we elves are born with."

"It is something you can never fully understand unless you're born with it," Kratos stated. "Books fail to explain the complex nature of magic or mana."

Genis nodded. "That's true."

Colette suddenly stopped in front of them.

"What's wrong, Colette?" Lloyd asked.

"The way to the shrine is shielded off," Colette said. "I don't remember any of the priests saying anything about this."

Lloyd frowned. "What do we do now?"

"There must be away to break the seal," Genis said.

"There may be a switch within the temple that controls the shield," Kratos advised. "We should search for it."

"This is a pretty big place," Lloyd noted.

Genis sighed. "We have no choice."

"Let's move on then," Kratos said as they walked back.

They moved slowly through the temple halls. Every now and then, monsters that took the form of giant spiders and strange blob like creatures attacked them. They, however, were easily dealt them with. Lloyd and Kratos acted as the main front line fighters, while Colette covered the middle and kept anyone at bay who managed to bypass Kratos. Genis generally finished any monsters off with his spells.

Genis could actually feel himself becoming stronger by the mana that was pouring through the temple. Spells that he had been having trouble with were much easier to perform.

So far, he was able to pull off Wind Blade and Stone Blast with little problem. These new skills were handy when dealing with the ghosts that would attack them. Hopefully, he could keep doing these types of spells long after they had left the temple.

After about an hour of wondering, they came across the basement. It was well hidden in the darkness, which caused them to miss it in their first pass through.

Downstairs was a room that had light blue tiles that one could see through. Strange square holes were also scattered throughout the floor, giving it an otherworldly look.

"It's beautiful," Colette said in awe.

Genis turned towards Colette. "You've never seen this room before?"

Colette shook her head. "I've never been all over the temple. Just the main shrine area."

Lloyd began to wander off as he explored the room. He looked over to where the transparent floor ended and saw something in the distance. Whatever it was, it was shiny and almost seemed to be calling him.

"What is that?" Lloyd asked. Everyone walked over to see what he was looking at. Whatever the shiny object was, it was sitting on a stone pedestal.

"I heard of that," Genis said. "I think it's an ancient treasure called a Sorcerer's Ring."

"Sorcerer's Ring?" Lloyd asked.

"An old treasure of the past," Kratos answered. His voice sounded strangely hallowed. "It has nothing to do with the Chosen."

Lloyd turned to look at Kratos. "Even so, it couldn't hurt to take a look at it. The switch or something could be over there as well."

Genis rubbed his chin in thought. "But how do we even get over there? The drop is too high for us to just fall."

"Look everyone, there's something here!" Colette called. They were so busy trying to figure out how to get to the ring that they failed to notice that she had wondered off from the group.

They all turned around to see what Colette found and were shocked to see her standing right in front of a Golem. Its red eyes bore into her as it raised its stone fist at Colette.

"Look out!" Lloyd yelled as he ran towards Colette. He jumped forward and hit the Golem with his swords.

The Golem was hardly affected as it knocked Lloyd aside. Colette threw her chakrams at it, but it also bounced harmlessly off the Golem's rock skin.

"Keep it busy!" Kratos order as he charged a spell.

Genis quickly did the same.

"Wind Blade!" Kratos yelled as he completed the chant. Several blades of wind descended on the Golem and struck it several times.

When that spell was finished, Genis also released his spell. "Fireball!" Several fireballs shot out from his kendama and hit the Golem head on. It screamed one final time as it changed into a big stone block.

"Wow, it turned into a rock!" Colette exclaimed in awe.

Lloyd put his swords up. "Well, it was kind of a rock to begin with."

Genis tapped it several times. "That's nice and all, but what are we suppose to do with this thing?"

"Nothing in this temple is here by chance," Kratos said. "This Golem was put here to serve some purpose."

"What could it be?" Genis asked mostly to himself.

Colette stepped forward to get a better look when she suddenly tripped. She slammed into the rock and the heavy block slid like the floor was made of ice. Lloyd jumped out of the way as the rock barely missed him. Once it passed Lloyd, it fell into one of the square holes in the floor. It fell some ways before it landed into a stone walkway. The walkway was broken in several places and the rock happened to land in one of those places, repairing the path.

Colette set up and looked dismayed on what she had done. "Oh, no!"

Genis and Kratos' eyes lit up in realization.

"I get it!" Genis exclaimed.

"I see," Kratos said in a more mild tone. Lloyd and Colette, on the other hand, were as lost as ever.

"What are you guys talking about?" Lloyd asked in confusion.

Genis began to smile. "Just give it a moment."

Lloyd looked even more confused.

A strange noise filled their ears and they turned around to see another Golem appearing out of nowhere.

Lloyd jumped back in surprise as he grabbed the handle on his sword. "There's another one!"

"We have to defeat the Golems to complete the path," Genis explained.

Lloyd shook his head. "I still don't get it."

Genis gave a loud sigh. "Just follow my lead." He began to chant a spell and cast a Wind Blade at the Golem. It turned around and angrily glared at them.

"Use the same strategy as before," Kratos ordered.

After about three more battles with Golems, they finally completed the pathway. Genis was breathing hard and leaning against the stairway. He had never used so much magic at one time. Even Lloyd was starting to look worn out.

"Man, these Golems are annoying," Lloyd whined.

"Did any of you bring any gels?" Kratos questioned.

"I only have apple gels that my father gave me," Colette said.

Kratos again reached into this bag and handed both Lloyd and Genis orange gels. "Eat up. It will help restore your mana."

Genis eagerly ate his orange gel; while Lloyd took some nips at his before deciding it was alright to eat. They both felt their mana returning when a warm feeling passed through them.

"Wow, I do feel better," Lloyd said as he sat up.

"Orange gels are still no substitute for rest," Kratos warned. "And eating too many at one time can make you ill."

"Thanks, Kratos," Genis said. "We didn't exactly come prepared."

"Even if you are not expecting trouble, you should already prepare for the worst," Kratos advised. "Especially in this day and age."

"You know quite a bit," Lloyd noted. "How old are you anyway."

Kratos paused for a second. "I'm twenty-eight."

"Twenty-eight!" Lloyd exclaimed in disbelief. "No way! You act too stiff to be that young." He then paused. "Then again, Professor Sage also acts older than her age."

"Age does not dictate maturity," Kratos said. "You can be extremely old and still make immature decisions and choices."

"Yeah, I mean just look at Lloyd," Genis said with a smirk on his face.

Lloyd turned a beat red as he turned towards Genis. "Shut up!"

"Let's get moving," Kratos finally said.

They walked down the stairs and across the now completed pathway. They were now standing by the altar where the Sorcerer's Ring rested.

"So this is the legendary Sorcerer's Ring," Genis said in wonder.

Lloyd titled his head. "What exactly is so special about this ring?"

"There are many legends around it," Genis explained. "One of them says that the Sorcerer's Ring belonged to the very first Chosen."

"But for some reason, no Chosen since then has been able to touch the ring," Colette said. "Anyone who tries gets their fingers burnt."

"If that's the case, we should leave well enough alone," Kratos advised.

Lloyd walked up to the altar.

"Lloyd, what are you doing? Didn't you hear anything we said?" Genis asked. "You can't touch the ring."

Lloyd stared at the Sorcerer's Ring for a second before he reached out for it. Everyone, except Kratos, gasped as Lloyd gripped the ring. He then pulled it towards him and looked at it in thought.

"Huh, nothing happened," Lloyd said, sounding a little disappointed.

"How were you able to grab the Sorcerer's Ring!" Genis asked in disbelief.

Lloyd gave a short shrug. "I don't know, I just reached for it."

Colette began to clap her hands happily. "You're amazing Lloyd! Try it on!"

Lloyd nodded as he put the Sorcerer's Ring on his right hand. It, strangely, fit perfectly despite the fact that he was wearing thick gloves. He felt a slight tingle run through his body, but it was soon gone.

"I wondered what this thing does?" Lloyd asked as he pointed the ring towards a vacant wall and with a thought, a small fireball came shooting out of the ring.

"Wow, it can shot fire!" Colette exclaimed in excitement.

Genis shook his head. "I still don't see how you got the Sorcerer's Ring. Maybe the legend was incorrect."

"It's best not to think about it," Kratos said as he walked towards a nearby wall and pulled a switch. "The way to the shrine should be open now."

"Well, let's get going," Lloyd said as they made their way out of the basement. They were attacked a few more times by monsters, but they were all manageable. It took some time, however, to get back to the main floor.

"Man, this temple is getting old," Lloyd whined.

"I was wondering when you would get bored of this place," Genis said in a deadpan voice.

"Give me a break. We've been in here for hours," Lloyd said.

"Did you think the trial would pass quickly?" Kratos questioned.

"Just ignore him," Genis said in a dismissive tone. "Lloyd has the attention span of a two year old."

"I see," Kratos said, although there seemed to be a ghost of a smile on his face. Genis dismissed it as his mind playing tricks on him.

They returned to the hallway that was originally sealed and found that the force field was no longer there.

"Looks like that switch did break the seal," Genis said.

"The Chosen should go first since this is her trial," Kratos said.

Colette nodded. "Okay." She stepped forward and the door opened in front of her and revealed a blue pillar of light. Colette walked towards it and disappeared once she touched the warp.

"Where did she go!" Lloyd asked in surprise.

"It's a warp, Lloyd," Genis explained while rubbing his head. "It's ancient technology used centuries ago. We covered this in our history lessons."

Lloyd blushed. "Yeah, I knew that."

Kratos could feel himself sweat dropping. "Move forward. We have to catch up with the Chosen."

They all went through the door and disappeared through the warp. They were now standing in a room with a high dome ceiling with gold decorations embedded into it and arches on several walls. It was not nearly as dark as the rest of the temple since the room had several windows.

"This appears to be the top floor," Kratos observed.

Colette waited for them before she approached the shrine. It was a large circular centerpiece in the room and it had the symbol of Cruxis engraved in the middle of it. "Yes, this is the altar."

Lloyd looked towards the shrine to see a red crystal glowing in the dim light of the room. He had a strange feeling that he had seen something similar before. "Then that shining thing there must be the Cruxis Crystal."

Colette gave a strange smile as she stared at the crystal. "That's right. They say I was born with that in my hand."

The room suddenly became brighter and everyone was forced to seal their eyes. Genis was the first to regained his sight and grasped in shock. "It's..."

Floating down from the light hovered a man with short blond hair and blue eyes. He wore a robe and a hat similar to a high priest with the symbol of Cruxis in the middle of the robe. He had long white wings that appeared to sparkle in the sunlight.

"Wha...what's that!" Lloyd exclaimed in shock.

Kratos looked at Lloyd from the side of his eyes. "An angel, I assume."

Lloyd's mouth fell opened. So the fairy folk of legend did exist, but something didn't see right about him. It was like he was trying to remember something he had long forgotten.

"So, is that Colette's real father?" Genis asked, unable to tear his eyes away from the angel.

The angel smiled down at them. "I am Remiel. I am an angel of judgment." He looked over everyone in the room and his eyes stopped for a moment on Kratos. It only lasted a second, but Remiel's eyes narrowed a little before he turned away. "I am here to guide Colette, daughter of the mana lineage, on her journey to heaven as the seventh Chosen."

He came down a little more to get a closer look at Colette. She in turn humbly bowed her head before him. "The time has come to awaken the Goddess Martel, who sleeps at the center of the world."

Genis looked like he was close to jumping up and down. This was an event that he would never be witness again if all things went well. He wished Raine were here to see this. "Awaken the Goddess Martel. It's just like the legend Raine and the Church taught us."

Genis glanced at Lloyd to see his reaction. Even a nonbeliever like him must be truly touched by this moment. Perhaps this was the Goddess' way of opening Lloyd's eyes. It saddened him to think that Lloyd wouldn't be with him and the others in death and he would be sentenced for all eternity to the void, a place where all nonbelievers, regardless of virtue, went.

The Cruxis Crystal appeared in Remiel's hands. "This crystal was once the heart of our kinsmen who served Martel more than anyone. With his death, he became a part of Martel and the symbol of her power, grace, and mercy. That power now belongs to you."

The crystal disappeared from his hands and appeared on Colette's neck, right above her collarbone. Colette fingered the crystal in awe. She could feel its power flowing through her.

"From this moment, Colette is the Chosen of Regeneration," Remiel said in a booming voice. "We of Cruxis bless this event, and hereby bestow the Tower of Salvation upon Sylvarant."

The ground suddenly began to rumble and a long shadow appeared from the window. They all looked out to see a giant tower now standing in the distance. It was so tall that it was impossible to see the top.

"So that's the Tower of Salvation!" Lloyd exclaimed. It was like what the books depicted.

Genis was closed to tears again. "Now the world will be saved!"

Colette and Kratos were still staring at Remiel who was watching Colette carefully. "Colette, the Chosen of Regeneration. Unlock the seals that guard the Tower of Salvation and climb its stairs to heaven in distant lands," Remiel commanded

Colette bowed meekly. "I humbly accept this task."

Remiel smirked in pride. "Very good."

Lloyd thought he heard a slight change in his voice, but it was gone by his next sentence.

"We of Cruxis shall grant you the power of the angels with each seal you unlock. Once you are reborn as an angel, this eroded world shall be regenerated," Remiel said as his wings flared up.

"Thank you," Colette said as her voice hardened. "I swear on my life I will regenerate the world."

Remiel smirked before his face became neutral again. "First head south to the Seal of Fire. Offer your prayers in that distant land."

"Yes, Lord Remiel," Colette said.

With his task completed, Remiel started to ascend back to the heavens.

"Uh...wait! Please, wait!" Colette suddenly exclaimed. Remiel stopped to stare at her. "I have a question I wish to ask." She began to tap her hand together as she mustered up the courage. "Are you my real fath..."

"First head towards the Seal of Fire," Remiel interrupted. "Understood?" He then suddenly began to smile warmly. "My beloved daughter, Colette."

Kratos physically flinched when he heard the declaration, but quickly regained his composure.

Colette's head shot up in surprise. "Fa...father! So you really are my true father."

Remiel's smile grew brighter. "We shall meet again at the next seal, my daughter." He then disappeared in a flash of light.

Genis had a goofy smile on his face. "So that was the oracle."

Colette looked down at her feet. "I can't believe Remiel is my father."

"Colette," Lloyd whispered worriedly.

Kratos stepped forward, breaking the moment. He gently grabbed Colette by her shoulders and broke her out of her thoughts. "You've received the oracle. Then let us leave now, Chosen."

Colette gave Kratos her best smile. "...Oh, yes."

Kratos looked at the other boys. "We're going ahead." He then turned around and took the warp back out.

Colette went to join him, but turned around to face Lloyd and Genis. "Uh…thank you, both of you." She then looked over them carefully. "Please stop by my house later." She then took the portal and went to join Kratos.

* * *

**Finally finished with the temple. Things should get interesting next chapter.**

**Until next chapter.**


	4. Marble

**Manage to update on time this week. Thank you all for the reviews, favorites, and hits. I am happy to know that you are enjoying the story despite the current slow pace. I also want to thank my beta, zealousfreak27, for checking this chapter despite the fact that she had no idea what is going on. My poor beta is completely lost since she knows nothing of Tales of Symphonia.**

**Anyway, onward to the story.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Marble**

* * *

It was the last thing he had ever expected. When he came down from Derris-Kharlan he did so to ensure that the Chosen would be safe. Mithos was certain this was the one. The one who would finally bring Martel back to them. With her return, the worlds would find order again and the Great Seed would finally be awakened.

He had started his mission not even three hours ago and things were already complicated. Could the Lloyd he saved at the temple be his Lloyd? He had the features of his son; the brown hair that was like his mother's and the eyes that were a mix of Anna and his own mom.

It was still impossible to say for sure, however. Brown hair and eyes were common for a human and he could no longer remember what his son's mana felt like. He had intentionally blocked many of his memories from that time period.

But the Lloyd at the temple wielded two blades, a trait that was passed down to everyone in his family except him. His son was born ambidextrous and had the ability to learn the two-sword style. The move set Lloyd used, although very sloppy and uncontrolled, was very similar to his father's style. It couldn't all be a coincidence.

"Are you okay, Mr. Kratos?" Colette asked gently.

Kratos quickly cleared his mind. "Forgive me. I've allowed myself to become distracted."

They were now away from the temple grounds and were on their way back to the village. The two boys would be fine since the flow of monsters had slowed since the Chosen had received the oracle. The monsters were attracted by the mana flowing out of the temple and that had stopped when the link from Derris-Kharlan was broken. It was all a part of Mithos' plan to ensure that the Chosen was always in danger.

"You've been quiet ever since we left the temple," Colette noted.

"I find it better to work in silence," Kratos stated.

Colette said nothing for a moment. "Thank you for your help. Not just with the trial, but for saving my life against the Desians."

"I was just doing my job," Kratos said neutrally.

"I don't understand why the Desians attacked and killed all the priests," Colette said with her head down. "We have a treaty with them."

"The Desians would be destroyed if you succeed on your journey," Kratos answered. "Which is why they would want to kill you. They most likely made that treaty to lure you into a false sense of security and make you easier to kill. The Desians are experts in mind games and mental torture." He knew both from personal experience.

Colette frowned. "But with the priests dead, who's going to help me on the journey? I can't go by myself with the Professor."

"The Professor?" Kratos questioned.

"Oh, you haven't met her," Colette said with a big smile. "She's our teacher. She came to the village about seven years ago. Genis is her younger brother."

Kratos nodded. "I see, so she's a half-elf."

Colette shook her head. "No, both Genis and the Professor are elves."

Kratos stared at Colette for a moment before he nodded. "I see, my mistake. I must have misread that boy's mana."

He didn't think the Chosen would care whether they were elves or half-elves, but he didn't want to reveal their secret. It was their story to tell and no one else's, especially with the stigma that the Desians gave the half-elf race.

"Why is a school teacher chosen to protect you?" Kratos asked. "The Journey of Regeneration is a long, dangerous quest, not a school field trip."

"Well, she can use healing magic," Colette said in a cheery voice. "She's also well versed in the angel language and the Church's history."

Kratos nodded in understanding. "Makes sense." He then scanned Colette's clothes. "Do you have a special outfit to protect you on your journey?"

Colette lightly pulled on her clothes. "This church outfit is made out of a special fiber woven by the Church itself. It highly resistant to most magic and some physical attacks."

"So, the legendary armor of Martel does exist," Kratos said.

The fiber was a common material back during the Kharlan War. It was used nearly exclusively by noblemen to protect themselves and sold highly on the black market.

Colette nodded. "Yeah, all the priests' robes are made out of this material. It's said this material is nearly indestructible."

"Nothing is indestructible," Kratos warned.

The rest of the trip was uneventful as they reached the village. With the danger past, several people were there to greet them. They all immediately gathered around Colette.

"Chosen One, did you get the oracle?" one asked.

"Has Cruxis accepted you?" another asked.

Kratos stepped between Colette and the crowd. "Give the Chosen room."

"Who the heck are you?" one of the people demanded.

"This is the person who saved the Chosen from the hands of the Desians," Phaidra said as she walked towards the crowd. Frank was next to her with a blank face.

The crowd stared at him in awe. "He saved the Chosen?"

"Back away!" the mayor ordered as he pushed his way through the crowd. "Receiving the oracle was only the first step needed to save our world. The Chosen must prepare to leave on her journey."

The crowd broke away and allowed Colette to walk to her house. Both Kratos and Frank shielded her to ensure that she wasn't mobbed again.

"I don't know who you are, but I owe you our thanks for saving my daughter's life," Frank said gratefully.

Kratos turned towards the man and nodded. He wasn't sure what to say since he was going to lead the Chosen to her death anyway.

They kept walking until they reached Colette's house and gathered inside the kitchen.

The mayor was with them as he took a seat. "Phaidra told me what happened at the temple," he said, getting straight to the point. "How much do we owe you for your service?"

"I would hold up on payment for the moment," Kratos said. "Considering that you may have to pay me again."

"What do you mean by that?" the mayor demanded.

"Before I arrived, all the priests who were to escort the Chosen on her journey were killed," Kratos said bluntly. Colette lowered her head and looked to be near tears. Frank put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I know," Phaidra said somberly. "They were many dear, long time friends."

"The Desians that attacked were ill prepared this time, but they won't be the next time they find the Chosen," Kratos continued. He had to thank the Renegades for making his job a little easier. "If the Chosen goes on her journey as things stand now, she will be killed."

The mayor glared at him. "We still have the guards in the village who can escort her."

"And who will guard the village?" Kratos questioned. "They have already broken the treaty and may return to raid the village once the Chosen is gone."

The mayor paled at the thought. Kratos knew he had struck a nerve with the man.

"There is not much we can do," Phaidra said as she shook her head. "The Chosen can't go alone and Professor Raine is not equipped for combat."

"Which is why I advised you to hold off your payment for me," Kratos said. "For the right price, I will escort the Chosen through her journey."

There was a very long pause as everyone stared at him.

"You?" the mayor asked in disbelief. "You're a mercenary. How can we be sure to trust you? You could sell the Chosen to the Desians as far as we know."

Kratos had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. "Considering that I just killed Desians, I doubt they would want to work with me." It was partly true.

Phaidra folded her hands. "He has a point and we have little choice now. The Chosen's safety takes priority over everything."

Frank nodded. "Colette will also face more dangers than just the Desians. She will be tested by Cruxis as well. Besides, Professor Raine will be with them and she is very protective of all of her students."

The mayor gave a long sigh. "I don't like this. I only allowed that elf to go because the priests would keep an eye on her. Now, I have to depend on her to watch this mercenary."

Kratos narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Very well," the mayor said as he looked up towards Kratos. "We shall entrust the protection of the Chosen to Kratos and Professor Sages."

Kratos nodded. "I have no objections."

At that moment, the door to the house opened. Kratos looked from the corner of his eye to see Lloyd and Genis walking in. They seemed to have made it back intact, but the boy, Genis, appeared to be walking with a slight limp. It seemed he had hurt his backside. Lloyd on the other hand was rubbing his stomach like he had bruised it. What kind of trouble did they run in to?

"Ohh, you're back," Phaidra said as she gave them a small smile. "Thank you for your assistance earlier."

Lloyd blushed slightly and Genis gave a cocky grin.

"Thanks, Phaidra," Lloyd said with pride. "Say, were you talking about the world regeneration journey just now?"

Phaidra nodded. "Yes we were."

Lloyd a bright smile appeared on his face as he stepped forward. "I want to go, too! I wanna see Colette regenerate the world!"

Genis nodded in agreement. "If Raine's going, I want to go too."

"No, you will just get in the way," Kratos said without thinking. His voice was much firmer than usual, which surprised even him.

He didn't want to baby-sit some kids during his mission and subject them to the mental trauma they would suffer if they knew the Chosen's true fate.

Lloyd glared at the older man. Kratos could feel him trying to burn a hole in his head. "What!"

Kratos casually shifted his hair out of his eyes. "The battles at the chapel were nothing compared to the journey that awaits us." He then turned to look directly at Lloyd. "Children need to stay home."

Before Lloyd could argue further, the mayor cut him off. "Kratos is absolutely right. Besides, what does a heathen like you care of the Chosen's journey?"

"_Heathen?_" Kratos questioned as he stared at Lloyd. So, he doesn't believe in Martel. Yet, he was friends with the Chosen and she seemed very fond of the boy.

"My personal beliefs have nothing to do with this," Lloyd growled.

The mayor snorted. "A nonbeliever would never understand the importance of this journey. Now, we still have things to discuss. You two should go on home."

Lloyd wanted to say something else, but he saw Frank gently shake his head. Lloyd knew that he was fighting a losing battle.

"Fine," Lloyd grumbled as he stomped out the door. Genis looked around the room for a moment before he joined his friend.

"Lloyd, wait!" Colette yelled as she ran outside after them.

"Chosen, come back!" Phaidra yelled after her.

The mayor shook his head. "I don't understand why the Chosen is so fond of that heathen."

"Those who lack faith needs salvation more than anyone," Phaidra said. "Colette knows this, which is why she tries to help Lloyd."

Kratos knew that was not the reason, but found no purpose to voice that.

"That boy could had been brought up right if he wasn't raised by that dwarf," the mayor continued to complain. "That whole society chose not to worship Martel and instead clings to their pagan gods."

"The dwarves worship only one entity and that is Origin, King of the Summon Spirits," Kratos corrected, although his mind was somewhere else. "What you are referring to is more in line with the beliefs of the elves and some half-elves who worship all the summon spirits as gods." He then turned to look at Phaidra. "However, Lloyd was raised by a dwarf?"

"Yeah, his name is Dirk," Frank said. "He raised Lloyd since he was toddler. That's why Lloyd can act a little strange at times since he had very little human contact when he was younger."

Kratos felt his heart begin to beat even faster. This boy could really be his son. But...

"Enough about that boy," the mayor suddenly said. "We still have to discuss the journey."

Kratos nodded. "Of course." Lloyd would have to wait for now.

* * *

Lloyd kicked a rock across the dirt as he vented his frustration. Stupid Kratos, who did he think he was? Just because he was a 'little' better with the sword than him didn't give him the right to push him around.

"Please, wait!" the voice of Colette got his attention. He turned to see Colette running out the house, however, she slipped on the stairs and fell ungracefully on her butt, causing both Lloyd and Genis to cringe. They were used to Colette tripping over herself, but it was still painful to watch.

Colette, as always, stood up and dusted herself off like nothing had happened. She walked over to her friends and bow her head in shame. "I'm sorry for what happened in there."

Lloyd sighed, losing his previous anger. "It's not like it's your fault."

Colette nodded. "Oh yeah…I'm sorry."

Lloyd looked at Colette in wonder for a moment. He never understood why she apologized for everything. "Listen..." he started until he realized it was a lost cause. "Never mind."

Genis decided to lighten up the awkward mood as he reached into his pockets. He pulled out a small brown bag and smile as he approached Colette. "Happy birthday, Colette!"

Lloyd looked puzzled for a moment before he suddenly remembered. He had completely forgotten all about her birthday again given today's events.

"I baked you some cookies. If I knew you'd be leaving tomorrow, I would've made something a little more special, but..." Genis paused as his eyes became downcast.

He really wished Raine had told him sooner that Colette was leaving so soon after she gotten the oracle. He thought she would be around for a couple more days. He knew Raine did it to spare his feelings, but she still should have told him. This was the last time he would be seeing Colette as a human, after all.

Colette gently took the bag from Genis. "No, no, I love your cookies!" She gave a huge grin. "Thank you very much!"

Genis had allowed himself to become depressed again and needed another way to lift the mood. He then smirked as he turned towards Lloyd. "So what about you, Lloyd?" He began to snicker. "You promised to make her a necklace, right?"

Lloyd looked very uncomfortable as he shifted in place. Genis just had to put him on the spot. "Uhmm."

Genis continued to smirk.

"Uh, it's…it's almost done," Lloyd defended himself. "Uh, I'll give it to you...tomorrow, before you leave."

Colette beamed at the news. "Really, I'm so happy! As soon as I find out when we're leaving, I'll go to your house to let you know." She then skipped her way back into her house, this time without falling.

Genis shook his head. "Liar."

Lloyd glared at his young friend. "If I start on it now, I'll finish it in time."

"Oh really?" Genis asked in a mocking tone. He soon waved his hand. "Well, whatever."

Genis was so lucky that his stomach still hurt from where Raine had kicked him. It was kind of scary that Raine was smaller than him, yet she was able to send him flying across the room so easily.

Then again, Dirk was smaller than Raine and he could knock him out of the house. With all of Raine's mood swings he was surprised Genis was still alive, especially given what a mischievous little imp Genis could be and how Raine knew exactly how to hit someone to make the pain linger.

"By the way, are you going home now?" Genis suddenly asked.

"Why do you want to know?" Lloyd asked.

Now Genis was the one who looked very uncomfortable. "Can I go part of the way with you?"

That was an odd question. It was not usual for Genis to come home with him to visit, but he never asked just to go part of the way before. Lloyd couldn't think what Genis would be doing in that part of the forest.

"Sure, but where are you going to go?" Lloyd asked.

"I'm going to see a friend," Genis muttered under his breath.

Lloyd raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you had friends outside the village besides me."

Really, Colette and he were Genis' only real friends. The other kids did play with Genis, but they mostly saw him as stranger because he was an elf and his sister was the teacher. Although all the kids, even the older ones, admired him to some extent since he was very smart and could set fire to stuff.

"Does it matter?" Genis huffed in annoyance.

"I guess not," Lloyd said slowly. It was best to drop the subject for now.

"Well, let's get going then," Genis said as he walked ahead of Lloyd.

He followed the younger boy and headed towards the village's gate. They stopped short, however, when they saw Raine in the schoolhouse from an open window. They both decided to pay her a visit before they left and went inside the school building.

Raine was looking around the room and cleaning some stuff from her desk.

"Hey, Raine!" Genis called.

Raine turned to face them. "Oh, Lloyd, Genis. Class is over for today."

"We know," Lloyd said. "I heard that you're going with Colette on the journey?"

Raine nodded; she guessed Genis told Lloyd. She knew he would eventually find out. She was asked months ago to join on the journey since she could use healing arts and had vast knowledge of the ruins that not even the priest knew.

"It's too dangerous of a journey to send Colette alone," Raine stated in a matter-of-fact voice.

Lloyd frowned. "But what's going to happen with Genis?"

"I asked Frank and Phaidra to take care of him," Raine assured.

Genis lowered his eyes. "Raine...I..."

Raine walked over to her little brother and hugged him. "Genis, I promise I'll come back, so please, don't look like that." She had to fight off her own tears as she looked towards Lloyd. "Lloyd, please look after Genis for me."

Lloyd had never heard that tone in her voice before. It reminded him of the tone Frank and Phaidra used when they told him to take care of Colette when he took her into the forest for the weekends. "I will."

Genis pulled away from his sister, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "Please be careful, Raine. Don't do anything dangerous and don't go near any ruins."

Lloyd blinked at the last part. Don't go near ruins? What kind of request was that?

Raine chuckled. "I'll be fine."

Genis wiped his eyes and stared at Raine. "Promise me you'll come back!"

Raine gave a sad smile. He knew she couldn't make such a promise. "You better get home."

Lloyd patted Genis' shoulder. "Let's go."

Genis gave Raine one last look as they walked off. The trip to the gate was quiet and neither one of them felt like talking at the moment.

"Lloyd!" someone yelled.

Lloyd looked up to see the town guards trying to hold off Noishe. He seemed more jumpy than usual since he had never tried to enter the village in the last couple of years. He usually ran into the forest and only came back when Lloyd called him.

"Do something about this thing!" the guard yelled.

Lloyd ran outside the gate and gently rubbed Noishe's fur to calm him down. "Noishe, how many times have I told you not to enter the village!"

"Hey, you always have him bring you to the village! Don't talk to him that way!" Genis scolded.

Lloyd turned towards Genis. "Var tyst, liten pojke."

Genis raised an eyebrow as he attempted to translate what he said. Lloyd almost wanted to laugh. Genis may be smart, but his dwarven still needed work. Genis was usually too busy learning dead languages than the ones that were still being spoken.

"Lloyd, the mayor wanted me to ask you a question," the second guard suddenly said.

Lloyd had to keep himself from groaning. "What is it?"

"It's about the northwest forest that you go through," the guard started. "You haven't been playing near the Ranch, have you?"

"What kind of question is that?" Lloyd asked. "Why would I want to go anywhere near that place, right Genis?"

Genis suddenly became very nervous. "Y…yeah, of course not."

The guard stared carefully at Lloyd, not quite believing him. "Really?" He then looked towards Noishe. "If so, that's fine, but...that weird animal..."

"How many times do I have to tell you that Noishe is a dog!" Lloyd asked in annoyance. This happened every time. Seriously, was it really that hard to believe that Noishe was a dog?

"Still doesn't look like a dog," the guard muttered under his breath. "Anyway, make sure he doesn't go near the Ranch, either."

Lloyd sighed. "Let's go, Genis."

They began to walk off from the village. Since Genis was with him and he was in no particular hurry, he decided not to ride Noishe.

"Noishe, why were you trying to go into the village?" Lloyd asked as he patted his dog.

Noishe whined softly.

Genis shrugged. "He was probably looking for you."

"You think so?" Lloyd asked skeptically. He didn't think that was the case since Noishe never bothered to look for him before within the village since he started school. He also seemed generally more jumpy. Maybe he was thinking too hard on the subject.

Almost as soon as they hit the forest's boarder, Noishe's fur suddenly stood up. He then gave a loud whine before he took off in the opposite direction.

"The monsters must be active today," Lloyd said casually. "I never understood why Noishe always runs since you hardly ever see monsters bigger than him."

Genis gave a small giggle as they continued on their way. The sun was bright and the cool breeze made Lloyd forget about the events at Colette's house. He wasn't going to let that jerk, Kratos, ruin his day.

Although, he still felt like he knew the guy from somewhere. Lloyd could have sworn he had seen his back before, as strange as that sounded. He was so deep in thought that he didn't pay too much attention to where he was going.

"Here's my stop," Genis suddenly said.

Lloyd stopped in mid-step as he looked where he was. His eyes widened as a giant steel gate stood before him. "At the Desian Human Ranch?"

He didn't know how he missed it. The wind must be blowing from the other direction since anyone could smell a Ranch from a mile away. However, the crack of the whip and the whimpers of pain could still clearly be heard.

"Doesn't going there violate the non-aggression treaty?" Lloyd questioned. He actually didn't care about the treaty, but he didn't want to go near the Ranch. He hated seeing the suffering and his dad would skin him alive if he knew he was here.

"The Desians already attacked the temple," Genis said with heat.

"Hmm, well, yeah, I guess that's true, but..." Lloyd stuttered. He was of two minds at the moment.

Genis lowered his eyes. "I know I'm not supposed to...but there's someone I just have to tell about the oracle."

Lloyd looked at his friend's face and saw the determination on it. Whether he liked it or not, nothing was going to stop Genis from going to the Ranch. "Alright, but I'm worried about you going alone, so I'll come with you."

Genis smiled. "Thanks, Lloyd."

Lloyd chuckled lightly. "What's a friend for."

They carefully walked towards the gates of the Ranch, avoiding the guards on post. Luckily, the guards were not paying too much attention. It was to be expected since the prisoners were already half-dead and too weak to go too far. There was also little chance of rescue since Iselia would turn in any prisoner themselves to ensure the treaty stood intact.

"Hey, stop slacking off, swine!" a Desian yelled to one of the prisoners.

Lloyd turned his eyes away as the prisoner was brutally beaten.

"Marble!" Genis yelled as he ran towards the wired fence.

Lloyd looked up to see an old woman dressed in the common rags of the Ranch, standing in front of the fence. She was hiding behind the shadows of the building and was out of sight of the guards. Unlike the other people, she was not chained by her ankles. It could be likely because she was older and couldn't keep up with the younger prisoners, but that was assuming that the Desians had any concept of mercy.

The woman was severely underweight and looked very frail. Her hair was also stringy and broken. Despite her physical weakness, however, she seemed to have an inner strength in her eyes. Unlike the others, her will hadn't been broken yet.

"Genis!" Marble exclaimed happily as she squeezed the young elf's hand. She then looked up to see Lloyd. "Is this your friend?"

Lloyd smiled. "I'm Lloyd."

This was the first time he had ever talked to anyone from the Ranch. The heartbreaking sight was too much for him and it was best not to become friends with people that you couldn't personally help.

Marble returned the smile. "I'm pleased to meet you."

"Marble, did you see it?" Genis asked excitedly.

"Yes I did. I saw the Tower of Salvation," Marble said with tears in her eyes. "Now, the Chosen's Journey of Regeneration can finally begin. I pray it is successful this time..."

Lloyd put his hand on his chin in thought. "The last Chosen failed, right?"

Marble's face became mournful. "I heard the Chosen was killed by Desians during the journey."

"I wonder if Colette will be alright?" Genis wondered out loud. His voice was full of worry and fear.

"Let us pray to Martel," Marble said in a hopeful voice. "May she guide the Chosen on a safe journey."

Lloyd decided to get away from the morbid subject. A glint on Marble's hand, however, got Lloyd's attention. He leaned forward to get a better look at it. "...Hey grams..."

"Her name's Marble!" Genis yelled in annoyance.

"...Marble," Lloyd corrected. "Isn't that an exsphere?"

Marble looked at her hand in shock. "Oh, is that what this is called? They placed it on me shortly after I came here."

Lloyd looked over the sphere carefully. It didn't look the same as his. Hers was a dim red instead of a sky blue. Then again, Kratos' exsphere was the same color. "Yeah, that's definitely an exsphere."

The crystal looked ugly against her pallid skin. Black veins covered her hand where the exsphere laid and it was badly swollen. He briefly wondered how such a thing could have happened when a realization hit him. "There's no key crest on it. An exsphere without a key crest is dangerous."

Genis looked at Lloyd in confusion. "What's a key crest? And how is it dangerous?"

Lloyd thought carefully as remembered Dirk's words. "Attaching an exsphere directly to your skin supposedly makes you very sick. But ironically, it's useless unless you attach it directly onto your skin. So in order to prevent it from making you sick, you carve a spell into a special ore and use that as a mount for the exsphere. That's the key crest."

Marble stared at Lloyd in wonder. "You're very knowledgeable."

Genis frowned as he looked at Marble's exsphere. "But it looks like Marble's exsphere doesn't have a mount at all."

"Nope, doesn't look like it," Lloyd sighed. "If the charm was the only thing needed, I could carve one myself. But there's nothing I can do without the inhibitor ore that acts as the mount."

"There must be something you can do!" Genis yelled in desperation.

Lloyd groaned slightly in thought. "It's not as easy as you think. Key crests are dwarven technology."

Genis' eyes lit up. "You can ask Dirk!"

Lloyd cringed at the thought. If his dad knew he was here, he would be seeing stars for a week. He didn't know about Genis, but one beating was enough for one day.

At the same time, however, he couldn't really leave this poor woman out to dry. He had a real chance in relieving some of the suffering from a prisoner of the Ranch. It could be enough to ensure that she lived long enough for Colette to finish her journey. The Desians had already broken their end of the bargain anyway, so he shouldn't be obligated to keep honoring it.

Lloyd finally nodded. "I'll ask him." Genis was so going to owe him for the bruises in the morning.

Genis smiled happily. "Alright, that's why I like you, Lloyd."

"Please don't trouble yourself with me," Marble said in worry. However, they could hear that she was truly touched by their actions.

"Hey old hag, what the hell you doing over there!" a voice yelled, causing them all to jump.

All the remaining color drained from Marble's face. "The Desians! Hurry you two, run!"

Lloyd stared at her in both shock and worry. "But who knows what they may do to you."

He knew all too well what they were going to do to her. With Marble's fragile state, she may not live through it.

Genis looked like he was going to cry, but kept himself together. "I know that, but what can we do? If the Desians find out we're here, just think about what they'll do to Marble and the people of the village!"

Marble nodded sadly. "He's right. You must go."

Lloyd gave her a sorrowful look as he grabbed her hand and gave it a short squeeze. "I'm sorry."

With that, both Lloyd and Genis fled the scene just as three Desians rushed the fence. They hid in the nearby brushes as the guards confronted Marble.

"What are you doing over here!" one of the Desians demanded. "Who said you could slack off!"

Marble lowered her head. "...I'm sorry." Although her eyes said otherwise.

The other Desians noticed the defiant look. "What's with that look?"

"Looks like someone's got an attitude problem," the other Desian said.

Marble looked up at the Desians. "No, of course not!"

"Be quiet!" the first Desian demanded. He then turned towards his other two companions. "You two, take her to the back!" He then grinned evilly at Marble. "We're gonna give her a little lesson on respect."

The other Desians chuckled in dark delight as they escorted Marble to the back of the yard.

Lloyd shook his head in disgust. "They're taking her to the back." That was where all the harshest punishments were dealt.

Genis was nearly completely panicked. "What can we do?"

Lloyd slammed his hand into the ground so hard that he left a hole. "Dammit, there's gotta be something we can do." He put his head down in thought. They had to get around to see what was happening. "Let's find higher ground."

They both looked around for a high cliff and found one on the other side of the Ranch. Lloyd carefully put Genis on his back and jumped up on several foot holes in the cliff face. When they reached the top, he put Genis down.

They could now look over the steel walls and see Marble. Genis gasped in both disgust and horror as he watched Marble being brutally whipped by two Desians. The lashes torn through her clothes and into her skin that now bore several red marks. Marble screamed as she pulled helplessly on the chain shackles that bound her to a long steel pole. One of the Desians oversaw the torture with impartial eyes.

"She's..." Genis couldn't finish. They were going to beat Marble to death.

Lloyd balled his hands into fists as he watched the injustice. He couldn't stand here and watch someone die. Not after he had sworn to help them. "We have to save her!"

Genis looked hopefully at Lloyd. "How?"

Lloyd thought carefully about the situation. "Attack the Desians from here with your magic."

"What!" Genis exclaimed. "Won't we get in trouble?"

"We have no choice!" Lloyd growled. "After you attack, hide among the bushes and make your way back to the village. I'll act as a decoy."

Genis' eyes widened. "But that would put you in danger!"

Lloyd gave a cocky smile. "Don't worry, I'll head down the cliff so they won't see my face. Then, I'll run in the opposite direction from the village."

Genis lowered his head. Lloyd had a good plan, but it was filled with risks. If they messed up, they would be putting the entire village in danger. But they couldn't leave Marble to die.

"Okay," Genis said in determination as he raised his kendama. He bounced the ball several times as mana built around him. "Wind Blade!"

Several blades of wind descended upon the Desians and cut them in several places.

They immediately stopped the torture as they looked for the source of the spell. "What the hell!"

Lloyd jumped down from the cliff with quick grace and landed by the entrance of the Ranch.

"Open the main gate!" one of the Desians ordered.

The gates slowly opened and several Desians ran out to look for Lloyd. He made his moved and dashed for the cliffs, making sure the Desians didn't see Genis.

Genis attempted to sneak off with everyone chasing Lloyd, but Martel was not on his side today. He was almost in the clear when he suddenly tripped and fell. He unconsciously gave a loud cry of pain.

"What was that!" one of the Desians exclaimed as they stopped chasing Lloyd.

Lloyd saw that Genis was in danger and turned back around to face his attackers. Without missing a beat, he charged the first Desians and withdrew his sword. Before the Desian knew what happened, Lloyd slammed one of his blades into his neck, breaking it.

"You little brat!" another Desian exclaimed as he grabbed his whip. He was too slow and Lloyd released a powerful Demon Fang, hitting him square in the chest. Blood flew out of the wound as the Desian crumple to the ground.

The last Desian was prepared and attempted to impale Lloyd with his sword. Lloyd parried the attack and brought his other sword down on the Desian's elbow, shattering it. The Desian cried in pain as he fell to his knees. Lloyd finished the job by bring down his sword on his chest, cutting off his breathing by breaking his ribs into his lungs.

Lloyd looked up and saw Genis had escaped during the battle. This came just in time as several more Desians came running out of the Ranch.

Lloyd turned tail and ran for the open cliff, seeing that his normal exit was blocked. Without a second thought, he jumped from the cliff and flew straight down. The Desians stopped as they watched in awe as he disappeared under the safety of the forest.

* * *

**We got a bit covered in this chapter, despite the fact that we are still at the start. I've never realized how long the introduction was until I had to write it. I would merge some stuff, but than these chapters would really be long.**

**The scream machine, thank you for your review and kind words. I kind of accepted that none of my stories in this fandom will be review magnets. I am just glad that people do read and enjoy my work since my stories do get quite a few hits. However, I do enjoy getting feedback and hope you review again.**

**Kiomori, thank you for your feedback and I am glad you are liking things so far. The part about the Sorcerer's Ring is kind of explained in my first Tales of Symphonia story, _Kharlan Chronicles_. The Sorcerer's Ring will be explained in detail in later chapters, so there is no need for you to read that story. It will be awhile, however.**

**With all that said, until next chapter.**


	5. Fitting Punishment

**Let me first start off by saying that this chapter and any future chapter will not be as grammatically correct as the earlier chapters. My beta, zealousfreak27, has fallen ill. I want you all to put her in your prays as she goes through this rough period. If any of your know anyone who would want to beta this story please pm me. In the meanwhile, I will do my best to keep up the quality of this story.**

**On a happier note, thank you all for your reviews, favorites, and hits. I hope you all keep reading as things start to heat up.**

**Now, onward with the story.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Fitting Punishment**

* * *

The minute Lloyd's feet forest's floor he was off running faster than a bat could fly out of Efreet's lair. He didn't stop until he was well into the safety of the trees and the Ranch was out of sight. His heart hummed in his chest as he attempted to catch his breath.

He couldn't believe that he just took down three Desians like that. He didn't even think as he merciless cut them down. Even at the temple, he didn't go in with the pure intention to kill them. He had little choice this time because he was fighting alone and he couldn't let those Desians be able to identify him.

It wasn't the first time he had killed. A couple years back, some thieves attempted to rob his dad and him during one of their outings in the forest. During the fight, Dirk had crushed one of the thieves' skulls in and Lloyd had slit one of the bandit's throats. It stunned him to see so much blood and the guy's eyes go empty.

He couldn't say he felt too sorry for the thief since he did bring it on himself, but he still wasn't happy about killing him. In fact, he remembered having nightmares for months after the incident.

These were Desians, however, not petty thieves. They would have happily done the same to him and more. They would have showed him no mercy, so he couldn't show them any in return. Despite all his justifications, Lloyd still felt a pang of guilt.

"Lloyd!" a voice yelled.

Lloyd got his swords ready before he realized it was Genis. "Over here!"

Genis followed the source of the call until he was standing right across from Lloyd. He had tears running down his eyes and was shaking badly. "Lloyd, they saw your face!" He shook his head. "I'm sorry, it's all my fault."

Lloyd patted Genis' head in an effort to comfort him. "Don't worry about it." He didn't blame Genis for any of this. He was the one who put Genis in that position in the first place.

"But..." Genis started.

Lloyd smiled. "I took out the ones that saw my face and the rest of them are still back up on the cliff. As long as we hurry up and get out of here, they'll never know."

Genis didn't quite believe him as he slowly calmed down. "...Okay."

"Just do my homework for me, okay?" Lloyd half-joked to lighten the mood.

Genis nodded. "Alright."

Lloyd removed his hand from Genis' head. "You should head back to the village."

Genis nodded again and gave a small smile. "Thank you for helping with Marble."

Lloyd smirked. "What's a friend for."

They both gave each their regards and went their separate ways. Lloyd made sure to take the long way back home since he wanted to make sure he didn't run into any Desians and led them to his house. He had enough of them for one day.

* * *

"Damn, who was that guy?" one of the Desians asked as they looked down the cliff. "I was not expecting him to jump."

"Have you found the intruder?" a man asked as he approached the solider.

"Sorry, Lord Forcystus," the Desians said in shame. "He got away."

Forcystus approached the cliff and looked down. He carefully scanned the forest, but sensed no movement. Whoever was here was long gone. "Analyze the data from the gate surveillance system!"

"Yes, sir!" the Desian said as he ran off to fulfill his order.

Forcystus then rubbed his chin in thought. "How did a mere human make that kind of jump?"

* * *

Genis didn't stop running until he was out of the forest. It felt good to leave that place. He approached the guards that allowed him to pass without question. The village was relatively empty now that the high of the oracle had worn out. Everyone knew that the Chosen would be going on her journey tomorrow. A journey that would decide the fate of the entire world.

He walked into his house was assaulted by a terrible smell in the air. He knew it could only be one thing.

"Raine, are you cooking?" Genis asked as he went into the kitchen.

It was filled with smoke as Raine stir a pot. "Genis, you're just in time," she said with a craze look on her face. "I'm in the middle of a break through."

"What, how to set a person's stomach on fire?" Genis asked in a deadpan voice.

"You know how there's sweet and sour soup," Raine said, ignoring her brother's snide remake. "Well behold, salty and spicy soup. The merger of these two flavors into a soup is a break through in cooking."

Genis sighed. Looked like he would be punished today after all. "Raine, what made you decide to cook today of all days? You should be resting for tomorrow."

The manic looked left Raine's eyes and she suddenly had a somber look. "This will be our last night together for awhile. So, I wanted it to be special."

Genis looked up in surprise. "Raine...how long will you be gone?"

"I don't know," Raine admitted. "The Chosen's journey could take months, maybe even years."

Genis sat at the table and lower his head for a moment. He then began to look around the small house that held all his recent memories. When they first came here, the house was not lived in for many years, but Dirk kept up the repairs as part of some strange deal he made with the mayor. He did a great job and it was very homey. It was the best house he could ever remember living in.

"Why can't I come?" Genis suddenly asked without thinking.

Raine put down the spoon that she was using to stir the soup. "It's too dangerous. There's no telling what dangers will fill our path."

"But it will only be Kratos, Colette, and you!" Genis yelled. "You won't have the other priests to protect you."

Raine closed her eyes. "As harsh as this may sound Genis, those priests who died today would had never made it on this journey."

"Raine!" Genis grasped.

"It's the truth. The journey of world regeneration is filled with dangers beyond the Desians," Raine stated. "If the priests couldn't handle a hand full of them, they could had never dealt with the perils that we'll most likely face in the future."

Genis looked down at the table, he knew she was right. "But I'm strong and I can get stronger," he whispered.

Raine gave Genis a gentle smile. "I know."

There was a long paused. "When the Desians are sealed away, will we join them?" Genis asked softly.

"Genis, why would you ask such a question?" Raine asked.

"The...the Desians are half-elves," Genis said slowly.

"We are not like them," Raine said sternly. "Even if we share the same blood, we're different from the Desians. They chose to turn their back on Martel and do evil in the world. The Desians are friends to no one."

"I guess," Genis sighed. "Do...do you think it will be okay if I finally tell Lloyd?"

Raine frowned. "I personally wouldn't advise it."

"But he's my friend," Genis said.

"Lloyd is a good person despite his beliefs or lack of," Raine said as her eyes became downcast. "But Lloyd is still a human. He also has been deeply hurt by something and I fear that hurt is purely the Desians' fault."

Genis knew that was true.

"But it's not my decision to make," Raine said in resignation. "If you feel comfortable about telling him, then you should do so. Just be aware of the consequences of your actions."

"Will you tell Colette?" Genis asked.

Raine paused. "I might, but that all depends."

Genis knew that was about as much as an answer he was going to get out of Raine.

"Now, it's time to eat!" Raine yelled as she put the pot down.

The stew was bubbling over the side and it was a pinkish red. It smell horrible, but Raine didn't seem to notice as she glowed over her creation.

Genis stared at the pot and rubbed his head. He wondered if he had any sandwiches left from earlier.

Dinner passed painfully slow before Raine finally allowed him to fix a make up meal. No matter how long you lived with Raine, you could never build an immunity to her cooking. He wondered if Raine had ever eating one of her own meals or did she used him as a test subject to see if it was poisonous.

A knocked at the door got his attention as Raine went to open it. Standing in front was Colette and Kratos.

"Colette, what are you doing out so late?" Raine asked. "We leave early in the morning."

Colette patted her hands together nervously. "I wanted to see Lloyd before I left. I was wondering if you wanted to come with me?"

Genis became briefly worried about the Desians who were still looking through the forest for them. He quickly calm down when he realized that Kratos was coming with them. Kratos was stronger than anyone he had ever met, including Lloyd.

"Can we, Raine?" Genis asked.

Raine paused in thought. "Did you get permission from the mayor? Going by Lloyd's house requires passing by the Ranch"

"The mayor has granted us permission," Kratos said casually.

Raine nodded. "Very well, let me get my staff." She then went to the back of the house.

"So Colette, are you excited about the big day tomorrow?" Genis asked.

Colette nodded. Genis noticed, however, that she looked a little sad. "Yeah, this is the moment I was born for. Leave it to me, I will regenerate the world," she said with a smile.

Genis returned the smile. "Of course you will. You're the Chosen, after all.

"Ready," Raine said as she walked back towards the group. She now had a long wooden staff with a curl at the top. "We better get going. It takes some time to reach Lloyd's house and the monsters are more dangerous at night."

They left the Sage's siblings house and made their towards the forest. It was a quiet walk and no monsters strangely bothered them. Genis could sense their presence, but they appeared to be in hiding. He wondered if they were sensing something that they didn't like. It could be the Desians, but he felt no one besides them in the immediate area.

"Mr. Kratos, are you okay?" Colette suddenly asked as she looked up towards the mercenary. "You looked a little pale."

"No, I just have bad memories of a forest," Kratos said.

"What kind of bad memories?" Colette questioned further.

"That is private," Kratos answered curtly as he walked ahead.

Genis didn't like the sudden flare in his mana, but said nothing.

They were soon in an opening in the forest where a large two-story house laid. The ground was very peaceful and the sound of running water put everyone at ease.

This peace was shattered, however, when they got close to the door.

"...That exsphere is your mother's keepsake," Dirk's voice said sadly through the door. His voice was also filled with anger as he spoke the next part. "The Desians killed your mother in order to take it from her."

There was a long paused from everyone. Genis could even see Kratos stiffened from the corner of his eye. He felt his blood run cold as the realization hit Genis. Lloyd's mother was murdered by the Desians. She was killed by half-elves.

"...They did?" Lloyd whispered after he was able to find his voice again.

Dirk sighed. "I told you about how I found you at the cliff near the Ranch, right? Your mother was still conscious at that time, so she explained everything. There's no doubt about it."

"Why didn't you ever tell me!" Lloyd yelled in rage. His voice was filled with such anger and hate that it scared Genis.

Colette looked ready to run inside and comfort Lloyd, but was held back by Raine. This was moment between father and son.

"If I had, you'd have run out and tried to take revenge on the Desians," Dirk stated. He seemed to hesitate on the next part. "The Tower of Salvation appeared today. Just leave the rest to Colette. That'll take care of the Desians, too." He didn't seemed to believe his own words, however.

That did little to comfort Lloyd. "But still..."

They heard footsteps coming towards the door. "Don't get involved with the Desians. Your mother protected you and that exsphere with her life. Don't go throwing either away."

There was another long paused. "Will...will you make me the key crest?"

"Lloyd, have you been listening at all!" Dirk yelled in frustration.

"Yeah, I heard you!" Lloyd yelled in complete disrespect. "But you can't expect me not to do anything now that I know!"

"Du dumma pojke, betyder inte att ditt liv något för dig!" Dirk yelled in dwarven, slipping back into his native tongue

"Du förväntar dig att jag ska vara okej och låta Desians har sitt sätt?" Lloyd answered back in Dirk's own language. "Tror du att jag bara kommer att låta saken Martel, att veta att hon bara kommer att falla 'sover' igen och orsaka Desians att komma tillbaka. Var slutar den?"

"Du är bara en mot en ond kraft!" Dirk shouted. "Du kommer att dö en dårar död.!"

"Åtminstone jag är villig att dö istället för att leva som en feg, som om du har!" Lloyd yelled.

A crack was heard inside and everyone realized that Dirk had hit Lloyd. There was a brief moment of silence before they heard Lloyd slowly stand up.

"Du behövde inte slå mig!" Lloyd yelled before the door flow open. He had a large red mark on his cheek and they could see it was already swollen.

He looked up in surprise and saw everyone staring at him. "Oh…let me guess…you heard that just now?"

Raine looked at him disapprovingly, knowing exactly what he had said to Dirk.

Colette looked extremely sad and near tears.

Genis looked frighten of Lloyd.

Kratos had a neutral face, but he appeared disappointed and shock at the same time.

"I'm sorry," Genis muttered. "Because of me, you..."

"It's not your fault," Lloyd said quickly. He glanced at Raine who looked between them, she knew they were hiding something.

"Lloyd, you should talk to Colette," Raine said, deciding to grill Genis later.

Lloyd rubbed his hand through his hair. "Just a minute, I need to cool off." He then walked off to the side of the house.

Colette watched him worriedly, but said nothing as she walked towards a bench that was on the other side of the house.

The others also spread out and were lost in their own thoughts. Kratos looked around the area and saw a small grave on the far side of the house. He instinctually walked towards it and bowed his head in respect.

Since he was a former soldier, he always felt he should honor the dead. It was actually a practice his father started him on. Despite his father's brutal and cold nature, he still gave his enemies respect.

Once he had finished paying his respect, he took a look at the gravestone. It was well kept with fresh flowers lining the grave. It was obvious that this person was someone greatly loved. The stone was also well cut, no doubt by Dirk, and had a slight blue tinge to it. His eyes fell to the name on the grave and his heart stood in place. It couldn't be?

"Hey," Lloyd said as he walked over to the grave. He lowered his head and gave a silent pray.

"Whose gravestone is this?" Kratos asked once Lloyd had finished. He already knew the answer, but he had to hear it for himself. He had to be rid of all doubt.

"You heard, right," Lloyd said in a hollow voice. "It's my mom's."

Kratos said nothing for a moment. There was no denying any of it anymore. This boy, no man, that stood before him was his son. The child he had long thought dead after that terrible night.

Many thoughts ran through his mind, but he could only think of one other question to ask. "Is your father still alive?"

Lloyd looked back at the grave before answering. "...I don't know." There was a note of bitterness mixed with lost. He could hear the pain in Lloyd's voice. "But Dirk is my dad."

"That was a careless thing to ask," Kratos said in a soft voice.

As much as it pained him, Lloyd was no longer his son. He wasn't raised by his hand and cared for when he was sick and in need. Those were the marks of a true father. Not a broken man who turned his back on life. "I'm sorry."

Lloyd sighed as he rubbed his hand through his hair. "It's nothing, I just don't remember my father. When I was younger, I used to look for him and even believed he would come for me someday. In time, I just kind of accepted that he would never come back."

"I understand," Kratos said. So, Lloyd had given up on him. It was most likely for the best. He was safe here and Cruxis didn't know of him. If he attempted to build a relationship with him now, he would be handed him to Mithos.

He was so deep in thought that he barely noticed that Lloyd had started to walk away. Fate was so cruel. He had lost his son not once, but twice in a lifetime. He supposed this was his punishment for fighting against destiny.

Lloyd heading towards the bench where Colette waited for him, when he caught sight of Genis, still looking downcast.

"Are you still upset about earlier?" Lloyd asked his young friend. "I told you it wasn't your fault."

Genis shook his head. "It's not that, Lloyd."

"What is it then?" Lloyd asked.

Genis looked up to Lloyd. "The Desians are half-elves, right?" he stated hesitantly. "So, does that mean half-elves are responsible for your mother's death?"

Lloyd's eyes widened in shock. "Not all half-elves are Desians." Although he couldn't think of any half-elves he personally knew, he knew an entire race couldn't be born evil like the Desians. "I don't care if they're half-elves or not."

Genis gave a strained smile. "Y..yeah."

"You should talk to Colette now," Raine said as she approached them. "It is getting late and we have to leave soon."

Lloyd's face fell as he looked at Raine. "You're going to leave tomorrow too."

Raine gave him a rare smile. "Are you going to miss me?"

"Of course," Lloyd answered without any hesitation.

Raine chuckled lightly. Although Lloyd wasn't her brightest student, he had a good heart. She prayed to Martel that it wouldn't be tainted by the darkness of the Desians. Despite Lloyd's word to Genis, she doubted he meant everything he said. If he knew the truth, could he honestly look at Genis and her the same again without seeing his mother's murderers?

"Did you finish Colette's present?" Raine asked, changing the subject.

Lloyd's suddenly became very uncomfortable. "It's...it's almost done."

Raine chuckled harder. Lloyd would never change. "Well, I'm sure it'll be fine. You're at least good at craftwork."

Genis giggled loudly when he heard the comment.

Lloyd glared at both of them. "Har ni båda måste prata så?"

Raine smiled sweetly at him. "You've stalled long enough. Go talk to Colette."

Lloyd walked away from the siblings, feeling better than earlier. Despite all the teasing, he knew there was no malice behind it.

"Are you ready?" Colette asked as she stood up.

Lloyd smiled at her. "Yeah."

He grabbed Colette's hand and took her into the house. He managed to avoid Dirk's eyes as they went upstairs. After passing through Lloyd's room, which was still messy from his late night work, they reached his terrace.

They stood in a comfortable silent as they stared at the stars.

"I'm sorry for not finishing your birthday present in time," Lloyd suddenly said.

Colette squeezed his hand slightly. "It's okay, don't worry about that."

Lloyd sighed. "But this sort of thing is special because you get it on your birthday, you know?"

"Well..." Colette said as she bit her lip. "Will you just wish me a happy birthday?"

Lloyd smirked. "Of course. Happy Birthday."

Colette gave him a quick hug. "Thank you, I'm glad I was able to live to this day."

"What are you talking about?" Lloyd asked in confusion. The statement was both strange and disturbing. It sounded like she was surprise to still be alive. "You're going to keep on living and regenerate the world, right?"

Colette pulled a way and turned her eyes. "Yeah..."

He didn't know much about the whole regeneration process. He wasn't even sure he completely believed in it, but he trusted Colette. He couldn't help but to believe that she could saved their world.

Lloyd began to shifted around when nothing was said for a couple of minutes. "About tomorrow, I can't come along with you, can I?"

Colette frowned. "Well, it's just that the Desians will be after us and it's going to be a dangerous journey."

"Desians," Lloyd growled with more anger than usual. "I always thought my mom died in an accident, but she was murdered by Desians!" He slammed his hands against the rails, startling Colette. "There's no way that I could keep living in a village that has a treaty with them."

Colette lowered her head once Lloyd was finished. "I understand."

She could feel Lloyd's pain. It radiated off of him like the light from the moon. She could also feel his anger and hatred that burnt within him. As he was now, Colette feared what he could become. Lloyd didn't have the protection of Martel to guide him. He could be led astray and become a truly bad person just like all nonbelievers who didn't accept the Goddess.

She wanted Lloyd to be reborn as a true believer in the newly regenerated world. She knew for sure that once Martel's glory filled the world Lloyd would be touched and finally opened his eyes.

More then anything, however, she wanted Lloyd to be happy. To live a long life free of the evils of the Desians. If he went on the journey, he would face mortal danger. Lloyd was strong, but the trials could destroy them. If she failed, she didn't want Lloyd to share in her fate.

"We're leaving tomorrow at noon," Colette said quietly. "So, would you come to the village around then?"

She couldn't stop Lloyd from coming if she said no. So, she had to mislead him. It hurt her to lie to him, but he couldn't know the truth. If they did succeed, she didn't want Lloyd to see what would happen after the journey end.

Lloyd gave a wide smile. "Okay, you got it." He then turned towards the sky. "Now I'll be able to see you become an angel with my own eyes."

They both looked at the moon together for a few minutes without talking.

"Lord Remiel really is my father," Colette suddenly said, breaking the peaceful mood. "I'm the child of an angel."

"Does it matter?" Lloyd asked as he looked at her. "Regardless of who your real father is, you're still you. You just have two fathers."

It took Lloyd a long time to realized that himself. It was funny that it was Colette's words that first night she stood over that made him see that. It almost felt like a full circle moments.

"The path to happiness is found in those around you, remember," Lloyd said. "Just think of yourself as being lucky for having more than most people do."

Colette nodded, but she still had a trouble look on her face. "I suppose you're right."

"World regeneration, huh. It's kind of exciting," Lloyd said, his voice picking up in pitch.

"Yeah, releasing the seals, becoming an angel, then finally..." Colette's voice trailed off. Her voice was filled with sadness.

Lloyd looked at Colette. "And finally?" What did exactly happen after Colette became an angel? He never bothered to ask before.

Colette shook her head. "Nothing."

Lloyd didn't believe her, but decided not to press it. He knew she had a lot on her plate at the moment.

Raine appeared at the door at that moment. "Time to go."

Lloyd nodded towards his teacher before he turned to look at Colette. "See you tomorrow."

Colette stared at Lloyd a moment longer. "Goodbye, Lloyd." She then went to join Raine and they both walked out the door.

Lloyd was too stun by Colette's words to say anything back. Colette had never told him goodbye before. It was always, 'see you later' or 'see you tomorrow'. It was never just goodbye.

He snapped out of it as the rest of his friends walked into the forest. He waved to them as they left. He decided not to worry about it. Colette could just be nervous and he really couldn't blame her.

He walked back into his room and look at the mess. Looks like he was going to pull another all nighter.

* * *

Forcystus leaned back into his chair as he watched the surveillance tapes. He had been studying them for a while, getting a good look at the worm who disrupted his Ranch and killed several of his men.

The intruders skills with the sword were subpar at best, but he made up for it by being so fast. He managed to kill two of his guards before they could even defend themselves. He was also fairly strong if he managed to break someone's neck with wooden blades.

What really caught his attention, however, was his exsphere. During the struggle, the cloth he was using to cover it had fallen off, revealing the blue stone. Exspheres were usually red, not blue. It also looked vaguely familiar.

The hologram in his room suddenly lit up and a woman appeared before him. "Forcystus, thank you for given me your report."

"Lady Pronyma, what can you tell of that exsphere?" Forcystus asked.

"What you have found is none other than the Angelus Project," Pronyma stated in a matter-of-fact voice.

Forcystus' one eye widened in shock. "You mean that special exsphere that disappeared nearly fourteen years ago?"

Pronyma nodded. "The same."

Forcystus rubbed his chin. "This is unexpected, but how did that human get it?"

Pronyma chuckled. "Honestly Forcystus, I thought you would be able to figure it out. Who else do you remember that disappeared that night?"

Forcystus thought about the question for a moment. "You mean...the Angelus. So, it lived as well."

"The bio scan leaves no doubt of that," Pronyma said.

Forcystus couldn't help but noticed that Pronyma didn't seemed that surprise. A creature that Lord Yggdrasill had chased for several years fell into their laps again and she seemed almost bored. In fact, he sensed she was hiding information from him. Nonetheless, it wasn't his place to question it.

"So, are we to capture it?" Forcystus asked.

"No, at the moment Lord Yggdrasill only wants his exsphere," Pronyma said. "Get it by any means necessary. But the Angelus is not to be killed."

Forcystus nodded. "I see. Leave it to me."

Pronyma then disappeared from his view.

Forcystus then began type something on his computer and pulled up all the local files. With a few scans, he was able to find all his information on Iselia. He looked through all the birth, school, and political records until he found what he was looking for.

"Hhmm, Lloyd Irving," Forcystus muttered. "So, that's the name he has been hiding under. A bit of a public clown in the village too."

He spent nearly an hour reading up on Lloyd's file before someone entered the room. Several Desians escorted Marble in and saluted him. "Lord Forcystus, we've brought in host body F192, just as you've requested."

Forcystus turned to look at Marble with unsympathetic eyes. "So, you're the one who had been in contact with outsiders."

Marble shook his head. "I haven't been in contact with anyone."

Forcystus snorted. "It's pointless for you inferior beings to lie. We know a boy from Iselia helped you today."

Marble stood silent for a moment. "I accept my punishment whatever that may be. But please, spare the boy and the village. It was me who did wrong."

Forcystus' respect for the woman went up. By this time, the humans would be selling each other in order to be pardon or even get a free day off from working. Even if she was a lowly human, she had some class.

"You know we can't do that," Forcystus said as he got out of his seat and walked towards Marble. "That boy and that village must be made examples of. Otherwise, we would be welcoming rebelling."

Marble fell to her knees. "I beg you. Take my life or give me twice the workload. He's just a child, he doesn't know any better."

Forcystus stared down at her. His face was completely blank. "A child or not, he should had been taught better." He then reached down and grabbed her hand. "However, your life will end here." He pulled on her exsphere, but not far enough to make it completely dislodged.

Marble screamed in pain as he body began to spam. The guards held her up as she went limp in their arms.

"Put her in a cell until morning," Forcystus ordered. "By then, the transformation should be finished." He then turned towards one of the soldiers. "You, stay here for a moment.

"Yes, sir!" they all exclaimed as they dragged Marble out of the room.

"Prepare a squad for a raid on Iselia," Forcystus said. "The attack happens at 1230 hours."

The Desian looked questionably at him. "Why so late, sir?"

Forcystus casually scanned his data. "Because we want to make sure that the Chosen is as far away as possible. I don't want her to come running back if she sees her home in danger."

The Desians nodded. "Understood." He then ran out of the room to prepare for the attack.

* * *

**We are finally reaching the climax for this section of the story.**

**KF2104, thanks for your review and glad to see you back. I am happy to like my overview of Kratos' mindset. As for Lloyd, I did not go out of my way to make him smarter mostly because I never really saw Lloyd as stupid. He is naive, specially at the start of the game, and book dumb, but he isn't stupid. Although I will admit that Lloyd's character did not really grow until around the third seal.**

**guikat, thanks for your feedback and hope you continue to read. I glad the story is coming out so well and I do my best to make sure everyone is within character and true to the spirit of the game. With that said, there will be some story differences in my major compare to the source material. It just is not apparent yet since we are still on the intro. The best way I can describe this story is that this is my interpretation of Tales of Symphonia and me filling out some holes that were left in the story.**

**With that, until next time.**


	6. Banishment

**Well, it is the chapter that some of you have been waiting for. Thank you all for your hits, reviews, and favorites. Your encouragement keep me writing and improving my story. I also hope you guys had a safe and fun 4th of July, for my readers in the United States.  
**

**Now, onward to the story.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Banishment**

* * *

Lloyd groaned as he lifted his head off his desk. He must have fallen asleep while he was crafting. He looked out his window and saw that the sun was not completely overhead, showing that it wasn't quite noon yet. Good, he didn't oversleep.

He looked at his hand and saw the now completed necklace. It took all night, but it was finally finished.

The necklace was simple. It was a bronze chain with a circular charm as its centerpiece. It had a simple red stone in the middle, which he found in the mountains months ago. It wasn't his dad's quality of work, but it was still the best he had personally made. He knew Colette would love it.

He went to the bathroom and gave himself a quick wash before he dressed. Since he was going on the journey, he grabbed his steel swords and put them on his belt. Hopefully, the village guards won't see them, although they shouldn't be too picky considering what happened yesterday.

He ran downstairs and was surprised to see that his dad wasn't there. Dirk was always in the house in the morning either working or cooking. He briefly wondered if he was working on the furnace.

Lloyd went outside and headed towards the old cave. He stopped, however, when he saw Dirk standing by his mom's grave. He seemed deep in thought and didn't turn to face him. He carefully walked towards his dad and bowed his head in respect at the gravestone.

They didn't speak for a long moment as Lloyd found his voice. "Dad...I'm sorry."

Dirk slowly turned to face Lloyd and grabbed his hand. He then gently placed something in Lloyd's palm.

Lloyd looked at the item and his eyes widened in shock. "This..."

"The key crest that you wanted," Dirk finished for him. "You can use it however you please. Just remember, I did try to stop you." His last sentence had a small hint of humor.

Lloyd tightened his grip around the key crest. "Dad, thank you!"

"Dwarven Vow number two, never abandon someone in need. I'm just going along with the teachings," Dirk quickly added.

Lloyd stared at Dirk for a second. "Dad, I'm going on a journey. I'm going to help Colette regenerate the world so that I can avenge my mom."

Dirk gave a long sigh. "Yeah, I figured you were going to say that."

So many thoughts ran through Dirk's head. He briefly wondered if he should tell Lloyd the truth. The truth about Cruxis and what would happen to Colette at the end of the journey.

He quickly dismissed the thought, however. If he told Lloyd, he would undoubtedly rush off to stop Colette and put himself in great danger. Colette wouldn't believe him anyway regardless of their friendship and may even reject Lloyd. It would break Lloyd to have such a dear friend call him a liar. Even if Lloyd could convince Colette of the truth, as he was now he would be crushed by the power of Cruxis.

If Lloyd did make it to the end, could he let Colette go? Would he fight to keep her from fulfilling the purpose she was born for? At this moment, nothing could be done. It was all in Origin's hands.

"Take this with you," Dirk said as he gave Lloyd a bag of gald and a map. He trusted the tracking skill he had taught Lloyd to keep him from getting lost.

Lloyd looked at the bag and then backed at Dirk. "So, you forgive me?"

Dirk nodded. "Yeah, but remember, this is your home. You're still my son, regardless of blood."

Lloyd gave him a big smile. "I'll remember that."

Dirk then began to smirk. "Don't forget Dwarven Vow number seven." He knew how much Lloyd hated that one.

As predicted, Lloyd rolled his eyes. "Justice and love will always win. Man, that's such a cheesy line for anyone to be saying these days."

Dirk chuckled as Noishe approached them. He had been silently watching the entire exchanged. Even now, Dirk still didn't know what went through that creature's mind.

Noishe whined softly as he nuzzled Lloyd's arm.

Lloyd patted his dog. "Noishe, it's time to regenerate the world!"

Noishe barked happily. He then turned around and looked towards the forest entrance.

Lloyd followed Noishe's line of sight and saw Genis running towards them. "Genis, what are you doing here?"

Genis ran until he was standing across from Lloyd. He attempted to catch his breath as he stared at his friend. "Lloyd, what are you still doing here?"

"Genis, good timing," Lloyd smiled as he held up the key crest. "I got dad to make Marble a key crest."

Genis stared at him for a moment as his eyes narrowed. "That's great and all, but what about seeing Colette off!"

"Oh yeah, about that, I've decided to join her," Lloyd informed Genis.

"Are you stupid or something!" Genis exclaimed in frustration. "Colette and the others left a long time ago!"

All the color drained out of Lloyd's face. "What?"

"I came looking for you because you never showed up!" Genis continued to yell.

"You got to be kidding me!" Lloyd began to yell.

Colette had actually tricked him. No, she downright lied to him. He was so emotional about his mom that he had failed to read Colette's feelings. How could he be so stupid?

"Lloyd, go to the village, now," Dirk said firmly.

Lloyd nodded as he jumped on Noishe. He pulled Genis up as well before they took off towards the village.

Dirk watched them go before he turned back towards Anna's grave. "I did the right thing, right lass? He may find out more than he could bear." He sighed deeply as the wind ruffled his beard.

Lloyd's mind raced as he thought about what had happened. A part of him was mad at Colette, but another part of him was greatly worried. Colette only lied to cover something really bad. What could she be hiding?

"Colette said she was leaving at noon!" Lloyd yelled out loud to Genis. "So, why did she lie?"

Genis frowned deeply. "She was acting overly cheerful before she left. She was telling everyone, 'I'll be fine' and 'I'll do my best'."

Lloyd closed his eyes in thought. "I bet she's hiding something. She always acts like that when she's worried or hiding something."

"Maybe so..." Genis said sadly.

Lloyd's eyes snapped opened. "I bet Phaidra probably knows something."

Within fifteen minutes, they reached the village's entrance. Lloyd and Genis quickly jumped off of Noishe, not waiting for the guards to go into their usual rant. They went straight towards Colette's house, not paying too much attention to the stares they were getting from the villagers.

When they reached the house, Lloyd didn't bothered to knock as he pushed the door opened. Phaidra was sitting in the living room with Frank. They both looked upset for some reason. Frank looked almost ready to cry and Phaidra was not doing much better, but was holding it together better than Frank.

"We knew this would happen," Frank muttered. "But for this day to actually come..."

"I know," Phaidra said somberly. "It's Martel's will. She was never meant to be ours forever."

"Phaidra?" Lloyd said, not sure if he wanted to interrupt the moment.

Phaidra looked up to see Lloyd. "Oh, hello, Lloyd."

Frank quickly wiped his eyes.

"Phaidra, is it true that Colette already left?" Lloyd asked softly. He had burnt off a lot of his earlier anger.

"Indeed," Phaidra said, her voice equally soft.

Lloyd looked down at the floor. He wasn't sure what to think at the moment.

Frank saw the distress look on Lloyd's face and quietly stood up. He slowly approached the young boy and handed him a crumpled piece of paper. "Colette...asked me to give you this letter."

Lloyd gently took the letter from Frank and carefully unfolded it. He then began to read the letter.

Dear Lloyd,

By the time you read this, I will have already left on my journey. I'm sorry

for lying to you. The world regeneration journey is full of peril—many Chosens

have failed. I care about you too deeply to let you get involved. I'm going to

do my best to stop the monsters and the Desians, so I want you to live a happy

and peaceful life in the regenerated world. Thank you so much for your

friendship and kindness all these years. I'm really lucky to have met you.

-Farewell, Colette

Lloyd put the letter down in shock. "What is this!" he almost shouted. "This sounds like some kind of will."

Frank couldn't meet Lloyd's eyes as he began to speak. "Yes, you could call it that."

Genis, who had remained silent the entire time, looked at Frank for answers. "What do you mean?"

Frank bit his lips. He wasn't sure if he should tell them. Genis may understand in time and accept Colette's fate, but Lloyd was another story. He was a nonbeliever and didn't study the word of Martel. He would not understand what Colette had to do. He may even try to stop her.

At the same time, however, how cruel was it to allow them to believe that Colette would return home someday? For Raine to be the one to tell them that their childhood friend was no more and they knew nothing about it. Could he honestly live with himself?

Frank glanced at Phaidra who nodded her head. He then had the courage to face Lloyd. "Lloyd, Genis, there is something we hid from you and everyone in the village."

Lloyd and Genis both stared at Frank.

He took a deep breath as he continued. "Colette...no, the Chosen...is already..."

Before he could say any more a loud bang shook the entire house. It was like a bomb went off in the village.

"Whoa!" Genis exclaimed as he looked around.

"What the heck was that!" Lloyd yelled. He ran towards the window and saw red and orange lighting up the sky. It looked like it was sunset.

Soon, the sounds of screams flowed into the house. Without waiting another moment, Lloyd and Genis ran towards the door. When Lloyd opened the door, pure heat hit him in the face. It was like the cave when Dirk had the furnace at full blast. He quickly looked around and saw the horror that was before him.

The houses were on fire. From the foundation to the roof, they were completely engulfed in flames. People ran in all directions as Desians chased them across the road. A strange smell also filled the air. Lloyd quickly realized what he smelled was human flesh burning. It made him feel physically sick.

He had to stay strong, however. He couldn't lose it now. Not in front of Genis.

"Wh...why are they doing this," Genis muttered in revulsion. He was shaking violently.

"Burn, burn!" someone laughed over the roar of the fire.

Lloyd looked in the direction of the laughter and saw two Desians setting a house on fire with torches. The family of the house was still inside since Lloyd could hear their screams coming from one of the opened windows.

Lloyd rushed towards the scene and removed his swords. "Stop, dammit!"

The Desians turned towards him and grinned darkly. They were like unholy demons standing next to the burning house. "Look, more survivors."

The other Desians laughed sadistically. "Kill them! Kill all the miserable worms!"

Lloyd turned towards Genis. "Go put that house out."

"What?" Genis questioned.

"Just calm the fires so the family can escape!" Lloyd ordered again more harshly.

Genis nodded. "Got it." He then ran ahead.

The Desians were too focus on Lloyd to care. They took their whips out and prepared to attack.

Lloyd growled. "You'll pay for this!" He then charged the two Desians.

The Desians welcomed the challenged and snapped their whips at him. Lloyd ducked, and rolled out of the way before he brought his sword down on one of them. The Desians blocked the fatal blow by bring his whip up. The whip was stronger than Lloyd through and he was unable to cut through the thick leather.

The other Desians used this time to snap his whip against Lloyd. The whip hit Lloyd square in the back, causing him to flinch. He quickly jumped away before the guy could get another hit. The Desian looked surprise that his attack was so ineffective. Lloyd had to thank his dad for the steel woven.

"Demon Fang!" Lloyd yelled as he released a wave of mana.

The Desian put his whip up to protect himself, but it proved futile as the blade of mana cut through the whip and hit its target head on. The Desian screamed in pain as he collapsed on the ground, blood spilling everywhere.

"Damn you!" the second Desian screamed as he charged Lloyd.

Lloyd was ready and thrust out his sword. "Sonic Thrust."

He hit the Desian straight in the chest. It was nowhere near as gory as Kratos' attack, but it got the job done as the Desian grasped in shock as the sword embedded itself into his gut. He coughed up some blood before he went completely limp.

Lloyd pulled his blade free from the Desians' body, allowed it to crumple to the ground. He then turned to check on Genis, who was using his magic to help the family escape from their home. He used spells like Wind Blade to destroy parts of the house and make the opening bigger for the people to escape.

"Thank you, Genis!" they yelled as they ran by Genis.

Genis nodded as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "No problem."

"Let's move!" Lloyd said. "We have to help more people."

Genis nodded as he followed Lloyd through the village.

They couldn't find many survivors and the smoke was so thick that Lloyd and Genis could barely see in front of them. Lloyd coughed violently as he attempted to catch his breath. Genis faired a little better since he was lower to the ground.

"Get low, Lloyd," Genis advised. "Smokes rise, so it's better to lie low."

Lloyd kneeled down a little to get a better look. The smoke was causing his eyes to burn.

"The school house!" Genis exclaimed as he ran ahead.

A man stood at the school's door and blocked it with a broom handle. "Get back!"

The Desians chuckled at him as they walked closer.

"What are you going to do, human?" the Desian sneered.

The man stood firm. "I'll die before I let you half-elves touch the people here."

"My pleasure," the other Desian smiled as he aimed his bow at the man.

"Stop!" Genis yelled. "Don't kill him!"

The Desian glared at him. "Who the hell are you, kid?"

Genis held up his kendama. "Leave this village!"

The Desians stared at him for a moment. "You're...why are you helping these humans?"

"Yeah, you're one of us," the second Desian said.

"I'm nothing like you!" Genis said as he chatted his spell. "Wind Blade!" Several blades of wind struck the Desians, causing them to scream in pain.

"You brat!" the Desian yelled as he took out his crossbow and aimed it at Genis' heart.

"Demon Fang!" Lloyd yelled as the blade of mana hit the crossbow, cutting it in half.

Before the other Desian knew what had happened, Lloyd charged him and he barely was able to block him with his sword.

Genis used this time to chant another spell. "Fireball!"

Several balls of fire shot towards the Desian, who was still reeling from the lost of his crossbow, and he was set ablaze. He screamed as he ran off, attempted to put himself out.

Genis quickly turned around to see Lloyd dispatching the last Desian. He then turned his attention to the man who had guarded the schoolhouse. "Are you alright?"

The man nodded, but he gave Genis an odd look. "I'm fine, thank you."

Lloyd carefully looked over the school building. It appeared to be undamaged. "Is everyone inside the school?"

The man shook his head. "No, there still should be some people in the village plaza."

"We have to save them!" Genis yelled.

Lloyd nodded as the turned to leave. Genis still could feel the man's eyes on his back. He had heard the Desians' words all too well.

It was another slow trek through the burning village. Both Lloyd and Genis were soaked in sweat by the heat that engulfed them.

Genis suddenly screamed. "Our house!"

Lloyd stopped and grasped when he saw the Sages' house on fire. He felt his heart swell with anger as he watched the house he once stood in as a toddler burn. Even if it was just for a couple of months, it still was a part of his childhood.

"Damn the Desians," Lloyd growled.

"This is horrible. What am I going to tell Raine when she gets back?" Genis moaned. He was still in a state of shock. "And this village looked like it might finally be a place we could have called home."

"Huh, what did you say?" Lloyd asked. He was so distracted that he didn't quite hear Genis. The fire also made things hard to hear.

Genis realized that he had said his statement out loud. "N...nothing! Let's hurry up and get rid of the Desians."

Lloyd stared at him for a second longer before they ran again, even more determine.

They finally reached the main plaza and saw that many of the town's people had been herded like cattle to the center of the plaza. They were surrounded by Desians who eyed them like hungry animals.

"I will asked you one last time," one of the Desian sneered. "Where is the one named Lloyd Irving?"

"We don't know," one of the people said. "He doesn't live in the village."

"I suggest you don't lie to us!" the Desian yelled. "Or do you want to die like everyone else?"

"That's enough!" Lloyd yelled as he ran forward. His clothes and face were dirty from the smoke and he smelled of ash. "You dared to attack the village again! I've had enough of this!"

Instead of the usual mocked that Lloyd had come to expect from the Desians, they actually looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

"He speaks nonsense. Ignore him," a deep voice said from the back of the Desians.

A man stepped forward to the front of the group and eyed everyone carefully. Lloyd felt a chill run down his spine as he stared at newcomer. This guy was nothing like the other Desians. His aura reminded him of Kratos.

"Listen up, inferior beings! I am Forcystus, one of the Five Desian Grand Cardinals," Forcystus stated. "I am a superior half-elf who rules over the farm where we cultivate you pathetic humans."

Genis stared at Forcystus. "A half-elf."

Forcystus' eyes fell on Lloyd and it felt like the half-elf was peering straight through him. Oddly, Lloyd didn't feel contempt from Forcystus like the others Desians. He seemed more curious than anything.

"Lloyd, you, a human, have been found guilty of the crime of violating the non-aggression treaty." Forcystus continued, his eyes never leaving Lloyd. "Therefore, I bring judgment upon you and this village!"

"You violated the treaty, too!" Genis yelled, once he had found his voice. "You tried to murder the Chosen!"

Forcystus stared at Genis, along with the other Desians. Forcystus' eye widened for a second before it returned to normal. The other Desians weren't as discipline as him and they began to laugh.

The captain of the unit was nearly double over. "I see, they must be after the Chosen."

Forcystus nodded. It was a good thing Cruxis sent down an agent to protect the Chosen. Although it was pitiful how easy humans could be fooled.

Lloyd looked between all the Desians in complete confusion. "They? Are you saying you aren't the ones that attacked Colette?"

Forcystus stared back at Lloyd. For a being that Lord Yggdrasill wanted, he was dimly human. There was nothing to suggest that he was anything more to him. No matter, he didn't need the Angelus at the moment.

"I have no need to explain myself to the likes of you," Forcystus said in a firm voice. "The only thing that matters is that you, Lloyd Irving, have been in contact with host body F192 and attacked our guards."

The mayor ran forward and got into Lloyd's face. "What have you done!" he growled with righteous fury. "How many times have we told you to stay away from the Ranch!"

Lloyd put his head down in shame. These people were dying because of his actions. He knew something like this could happen if he was caught. But he had never imagined it would be this bad. "...I'm sorry."

Forcystus stood unmoved from the display. It was time to properly test this Angelus. "We've prepared an appropriate opponent for your crime!"

With a slight nod of his head, several Desians pulled a creature into the village. It was chained by the neck and stood several feet tall. One of its arms was longer than the other and it walked with a heavy limp. Its one red eye glared down at them and it gave a loud roar. The roar, however, seemed to be filled with pain instead of bloodthirst.

What is that thing!" Lloyd exclaimed, although there was something vaguely familiar about this monster. For a brief moment, he felt like he had seen a creature like it before.

Forcystus almost smiled. The poor boy didn't know. It took away half the fun of these types of events, but that was of little importance. He only bothered to change this woman to see this Angelus acted in combat for himself. If he was halfway decent, he should be able to handle an Exbelua. Especially a half dead one from the Ranch.

Once the test was done, he would personally rip that exsphere from that boy's hand and per his orders the Angelus wouldn't be too badly damage.

"Now, receive your punishment," Forcystus stated as he moved out of the monster's path.

The Desians let go of the Exbelua and let it run towards Lloyd and Genis.

"Crap!" Lloyd exclaimed as he dodged a sloppy swing from the monster. It was still strong enough, however, to put a dent in the ground.

The mayor gave a high pitch scream as the monster stared down at him. Before it could attack, Genis released a fireball at the monster. It reeled in pain and gave a loud screech.

"Get out of here!" Genis ordered the mayor. He didn't have to be told twice and the mayor rushed towards the safety of the surrounding crowd.

Lloyd quickly moved in and performed a Sonic Thrust at the monster. It moved out of the way at the last moment making Lloyd only hit its arm. Blood sprayed everywhere as the monster fell back. Lloyd was more than surprise to see that the blood was yellow.

Some of it landed on Lloyd's cheek and it stung. He hissed in pain as he wiped his cheek, it was like a bee had stung him.

"Lloyd, be careful!" Genis warned. "The blood is like acid!"

Lloyd turned towards his friend. "What's acid?"

Before Genis could answer, the monster was on Lloyd and he was nearly impaled. He moved just enough so the monster only tore his coat.

Genis started another spell, deciding he would tease Lloyd later if they lived though this. He concentrated more mana into the spell, attempting to perform a spell that he could only do at the temple. "Stone Blast!" Several bits of earth shot off from the ground and hit the monster, causing it to flinch.

Lloyd saw his chance and ran in. "Demon Fang!" The attack hit and the monster's left arm came clear off, spilling blood all over the ground.

The Exbelua fell to the ground, breathing hard and trying to clutched its injuries with its other hand.

Forcystus nodded in approval. Not too bad, although it took longer than he had expected. The Angelus had some talent, although it was very raw.

"Lord Forcystus, just as you thought, that boy has an exsphere!" the captain said when he saw Lloyd's exsphere glowing in the sun. The cloth he wore had fallen off again during the battle.

"It is the one from the Angelus Project," Forcystus said, deciding to fill in his men. He then stepped towards Lloyd. "Give us that exsphere."

Lloyd pulled back. "No, this is a memento of my mom's, who you Desians murdered!" he yelled as his rage flowed out of his eyes.

Forcystus stopped short. Doesn't he remember what happened that night? Then again, he was just a toddler. "What are you talking about? Your mother was..."

Before he could say more, the Exbelua suddenly stood up and tackled him to the ground. Forcystus was completely surprise by the level of power this creature still had. Where was it gaining its strength? It only had one arm, was bleeding heavily in several places, and it was originally an old frail woman. Yet, it was able to completely pin him.

"Run...away...Genis, Lloyd..." the Exbelua stuttered in its broken speech.

Forcystus' eye widened in shock. "_Impossible, it shouldn't have a mind left._"

Genis grasped. "What...it sounds like...Marble."

Lloyd froze. "It could be..." The world couldn't be that cruel.

"Uh...ugh...guh...Get away...hurry!" the Exbelua yelled in a stronger voice.

Genis' eyes widened. "No, Marble is that you!"

Marble's breathing became more strained and as her mana built into her body. She began to glow and Forcystus struggled even harder to escape.

"Damn you, get off of me you old hag!" Forcystus yelled.

"Genis...you were like a grandson to me," Marble said softly as she glowed even brighter. In her one eye tears appeared to be falling. "Thank you and goodbye..."

The mana hit its peak and a loud explosion filled the area, knocking several people off their feet. People screamed in terror as they attempted to get a way from the explosion.

Through the chaos Genis' eyes caught something heading towards him. It landed peacefully by his feet and he stared at it for several moments. He then picked it up to get a better look at it. It was a crystal, no, it was Marble's exsphere.

Forcystus lay injured on the ground. Burnt marks were scattered across his body and his metal arm was badly damaged. "Damn that woman," he muttered.

"Protect Lord Forcystus!" the Desian captain yelled as several Desians ran to help Forcystus up. He was slowly able to stand up with support.

Forcystus glared at Lloyd, who was staring at the crater in shock. He was pissed that he couldn't complete his mission. He quickly looked around the village and saw everyone staring at Lloyd. He knew those looks all too well. It was the same looks that humans always gave just before they turned on each other.

He almost wanted to laugh. Humans were so predictable. Show them a little terror and they fold every time. He may have failed, but he was going to make sure that the Angelus would have no shelter to return to.

"Lloyd, we will always come after you as long as you possess that exsphere. Always!" Forcystus emphasized. He glanced at the mayor and saw the hate that he now had being directed at Lloyd. He knew his work here was done.

"Let's go!" Forcystus ordered as the Desians filed out. The village did nothing to stop them. They were too broken and scared to try.

Lloyd continued to stare at the crater. Did he really just kill an innocent person?

"Marble..." Genis muttered as he fell to his knees. He cuddled the exsphere in his hand.

"This is all your fault!" the mayor yelled as he glared at Lloyd. "Look at our village! Look what you have done!"

Lloyd finally broke his glaze away from the crater and began to look around the burning village. It all felt too surreal. It didn't seem real to see his adopted home burning to the ground. To see the people he saw everyday dead on the ground and smelling their remains. It was all like a bad dream.

"The Desians marked you as their enemy!" the mayor continued. He had calmed down a little, but never lost his glare. "As long as you are here, this village will never be at peace."

Genis snapped out of his daze and quickly stood up to face the mayor. "What are you trying to say! You can't be planning to exile him!"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," the mayor said, never looking a way from Lloyd.

Genis could feel his anger building. "That's not fair! Lloyd didn't do anything wrong! He just saved Marble..."

"Any involvement with the Ranch is forbidden," the mayor cut Genis off in mid rant. "There are no exceptions."

"So it's okay to let people die at the Human Ranch as long as the village is safe!" Genis asked in disbelief. He knew the treaty existed to protect Colette, but what was their excuse now? How could they be so cold to their fellow men?

"The people at the Ranch are just going to rot there anyway," a villager said coldly.

The mayor nodded. "Had you not done something so stupid, they'd have been the only ones that died."

Genis looked among the villagers for anyone sane to speak up. But they were all silence, which spoke volumes about them. They cared nothing for the people suffering and dying at the Ranch. As long as it wasn't them or they didn't see the horrors for themselves, it was all out of mind.

This isn't what the word of Martel preached. The book never said to bury your head in the sand in the face of evil. Cowards, every last one of them.

"You humans are all the same," Genis muttered. To think he thought of them as his friends and this place his home. How naive he had been.

"That's enough, Genis," Lloyd said in a firm voice, catching the younger boy off-guard. "This was my fault." He turned towards the mayor. "I'll leave."

The mayor actually seemed surprise that Lloyd was not putting up a fight.

"Mayor, surely you don't have to be so strict on a child," one of the villagers spoke up.

"What are you saying!" someone else yelled over the crowd. "Do you know how many people died because of that 'child'?"

"I'm the one that took him to the Ranch!" Genis yelled, causing everyone to turn towards him. He ignored their accusing glares. "It's my fault, not Lloyd's."

"It's Lloyd the Desians want," the mayor countered back. "Besides, Lloyd isn't even from this villager. He's a heathen raised by a dwarf."

"This is Martel's punishment for letting his kind into the village!" another villager yelled. "Those who chose to stray away from Martel's light are destined to live in darkness."

Those words angered Genis more than anything. He had heard the exact same thing his entire life. The reasons maybe different, but the hate was all the same.

"Then I'm leaving too," Genis declared. He would rather take his chances with the monsters than to stay with these hypocrites.

"Fine then," the mayor said as he walked a way from them. He then stood in front of the crowd as they all glared down at them. "By the rights vested in me as mayor, I hereby announce the banishment of Lloyd and Genis from the village of Iselia."

"Get out!" someone yelled angrily.

"May Martel have mercy on your soul, heathen!" another screamed.

Lloyd turned to leave.

"Lloyd, wait!" someone yelled. Everyone turned to see Frank running up towards them with Phaidra shortly behind them.

"High Priestess Phaidra," people muttered.

Lloyd looked at the older woman with shame in his eyes. "I'm sorry for everything that has happened."

"It wasn't your fault," Frank said. "You tried to do the right thing. No one can fault you for that." He glanced angrily as his fellow villagers.

"But because of me, so many people has died," Lloyd muttered.

Frank was going to say something, but Phaidra stepped in. "If you feel that way, then please catch up to the Chosen and protect her."

"High Priestess, you can't possible think he..." the mayor started.

"It is the Chosen's decision to accept them," Phaidra said firmly. "Since you have banished Lloyd and Genis, you no longer have authority over them."

The mayor was lost for words.

"If you help the Chosen, you would be redeem by the Goddess," Phaidra continued.

Frank nodded. "I'm sure Colette would want that as well."

Lloyd looked into Phaidra's face. He didn't want or care for Martel's forgiveness. He wanted to make up for the lives that were lost because of his foolishness, but Phaidra had a point. If he helped Colette, the Desians would once again be seal away and no one else would have to suffer under them. It was the only thing he could do now.

"Yes, I will atone for what I've done. I swear to protect Colette for the sake of those who have died because of me," Lloyd vowed.

"I'll follow you, Lloyd," Genis said as he stood by his side. "I promise to stick by you, always."

Lloyd took one last look at his childhood home and turned to leave. He won't let the lives lost here be in vain. Whether the Goddess Martel existed or not, he would see the end of the Desians.

Frank watched them leave and gave a small pray. "May the Goddess Martel protect them."

* * *

**Yes, I finally got Lloyd and Genis out of Iselia. It only took like 30,000 words and we still at the beginning. Fun times ahead.**

**As a heads up, I will be going out of town this Sunday, so I may not be able to update for the next two weeks. I will do my best to keep updating on time, but no promises.**

**KF2104, I do agree that some fanfic writers do a bad job characterizing Lloyd. I think this is mostly because it is hard to write a character who is really book dumb and somewhat stupid on some subjects, but is also very smart and observant. I think I actually write Lloyd a little smarter than he is in canon since I do not go into too much detail about Lloyd's lack of book smarts and more about him being socially awkward.**

**Forcytus was a little hard to write too since I do understand that he does have his noble side, but he is still a Grand Cardinal. I see him as a person who is good to his men, respectful to his superiors, and have no selfish motives besides making a better world for half-elves. If it wasn't for the fact that Forcytus is a racist he could have been a truly good person or even friends with Lloyd.**

**Scream Machine, thanks for your review. Yeah, sorry about the grammar errors. I went back to the last chapter and did make minor grammar changes. My chapters are so long that I do tend to skim near the end and it is hard to get all your mistakes when you do not have that extra pair of eyes. Know that I do my best and I do hope my beta gets better soon.**

**With that said, until next chapter.  
**


	7. Lonely Road

**Well, I managed to update on time despite being halfway across the country. It is a good thing that I write ahead of time. Anyway, thank you all for the reviews, hits, favorites, and alerts. Your feedback really encourage me to keep writing and update on time.**

**Now, onward to the chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Lonely Road**

* * *

Raine frowned as she watched Colette's mood steadily decline throughout the morning. She had acted so cheerful and strong leaving the village, but Raine knew it was an act. Gradually, Colette began to show her real feelings. What she was expecting to see was fear, not guilt and regret.

"You know you can tell me what happened," Raine said, deciding to take the direct approach. "It's not good to carry your feelings alone since they will only slow you down."

Colette looked up at her teacher, seeing through the calculated coldness. "Professor, I lied to Lloyd back at his house yesterday."

"I see, so that's why he wasn't there to say goodbye to you," Raine concluded.

She figured Colette had done as much. She was too quiet on their way back to the village last night and refused to look any of them in the eye. She also didn't seemed surprise that Lloyd wasn't at the village this morning. In fact, Colette acted more relieved. Raine could guess why she had lied.

"Lloyd asked you to come on the journey," Raine stated.

Colette nodded. "Yeah, and I didn't have the heart to say no at the moment."

"You did the right thing," Kratos suddenly spoke up, but he never turned around to face them. He was currently leading the small group. "Lloyd would had followed us and put himself in great danger. He's simply not built for this kind of journey."

Raine briefly got the feeling that the statement had several meanings behind it. "True, although Lloyd will be upset by your deceit."

Colette looked down at her feet. "I know. Maybe Lloyd will forgive me someday."

The rest of the morning was quiet and mostly uneventful save for a few monster attacks. The monsters that they did run into were easily dealt with, however. Kratos did most of the work before Colette could mount a real offense. Raine was there for support just in case one of them managed to land a lucky hit. Even someone as skilled as Kratos could be caught off-guard.

As they kept moving south the weather gradually became warming. It soon felt like late summer by the time they broke for lunch.

"It's gotten so hot out here," Colette said as she took her sandwich.

"It's to be expected," Kratos said. "We are nearing the desert and it is the territory of the summon spirit, Efreet. Things will only get hotter as we get closer to the Seal of Fire."

Raine nodded as she took out her map. "We should head towards Triet first to stock up and rest."

"We should have enough supplies from the village to last us," Kratos said. "Although, I must agree. We won't reach Triet until this time tomorrow and we don't know the exact location of the ruins. It would be unwise to wonder a desert."

Colette nibbled on her sandwich. "We're camping out today?"

"We have little choice," Raine said. "We passed the only House of Salvation hours ago. From here, the only safe hold will be Triet."

"Wow, I never camp out before!" Colette exclaimed excitedly. "The closer I've ever been is when me and Lloyd would sleep..." Her eyes became downcast at the thought of Lloyd.

"It's best not to linger on your past actions," Kratos said as he unwrapped his own sandwich. "What's done is done." Before he bit into his sandwich, he noticed something strange about it. "Who made the sandwiches?"

Raine's face lit up. "I wanted to experiment with mixing different flavors and spices with the meat. It is a mix of cheese, peppers, and jelly."

"Jelly?" Kratos repeated slowly. Although his face was controlled, there was a tinge of disbelief in his voice.

"I wanted to give a sweet and spicy taste that I have been working on for the last couple of days," Raine concluded.

"It's really not that bad," Colette added cheerfully, although she looked to be almost in pain. That wasn't a good sign.

Kratos closed his eyes briefly before answering. "I'll try it." He took a nice bit of the sandwich and began to slowly chew it. "Well, it's...flavorful and...has a remarkable texture," he muttered. "I'll never eaten anything like this before."

This was the first time he had really eating anything in years. Since the lost of his family he hardly bothered to act human anymore. He had actually forgotten what food tasted like. However, he could hardly go on this journey without eating and not raise suspicion. So, he had to suck it up, for better and for worst.

Raine watched Kratos chew carefully. Although Kratos didn't outright slam her cooking like Genis or Lloyd she knew she had failed when his face started to turn a green with a tint of purple.

She sighed in defeat. "I messed up again."

Kratos couldn't take it anymore. The minute he shallow he felt his stomach begin to burn. This was not going to end well unless he did something. "Ugh, First Aid!" The released of the healing spell smooth his stomach.

He glanced at Colette to see if she needed some aid. He hardly needed her getting sick. She appeared, however, to be unaffected by the near lethal food.

"Don't worry, Professor," Colette said cheerily. "I'm certain you'll get better as we continue our journey."

"I think I'll do the cooking for now on," Kratos muttered. He was going to envy the Chosen once she had broken that first seal.

* * *

Noishe whined softly as he attempted to lift the mood of the broken group. His efforts had proven unsuccessful as Lloyd refused to lift his head. He instead allowed Noishe to guide him along the dirt path. Even the normally energetic Genis was completely lost in thought.

Lloyd couldn't believe that he had been so foolish and selfish. Because of him, dozens of people were dead. Lives that didn't needed to be lost if he only stood a way from the Ranch.

Marble may had also been saved. She could have lived long enough for Colette to complete her journey and once again banished the Desians. Now, she would never see a world freed of their rule. She died trying to protect them. No, he had murdered her.

Lloyd shivered as he thought about how he had brutally sliced her arm off. How the blood freely flowed from the wound and burnt the ground. He also couldn't banish that inhuman scream that would remain with him for the rest of his life. What made it even more unreal was that he had heard those screams before. Marble's screams were similar to the cries in his nightmares. What could it all mean?

Dammit, how were the Desians able to turn Marble into such a monster anyway? That couldn't be natural. Did the Desians have some kind of special power that could twist and alter a person into creatures that could so easily murder the people they love? He would never forgive them, not a single one of them. Forget regenerating the world. He would personal bring down any Desian on sight.

"Are you okay, Lloyd?" Genis asked gently. He could feel Lloyd's mana raging like a storm. He could actually feel its heat pulsing against his skin like the fires that destroyed Iselia.

Lloyd nodded. "I'm fine. I...I just have a lot on my mind."

"It wasn't your fault," Genis said. "I hold equal blame in this too."

"But I should had known better," Lloyd said as his voice filled with remorse. "It...I'm suppose to protect you. Raine wanted me to look after you and I go and get you banish. Those people, they didn't deserve to die in such a manner. They took me in and welcomed me into their village, despite our differences, and I betrayed them like this."

Genis wasn't sure what to say. Lloyd must be going through so many emotions at the moment. He found out less than twelve hours ago that his mother was hunted down and murdered by the Desians. Now, they had burned his home and were chasing him like an fugitive. Genis was also hurt by the villagers' rejection, but he could only imagine how Lloyd felt. He knew these people since he was a child.

Lloyd had every right to hate the Desians. He also hated them for their actions, but he couldn't help but wondered if Lloyd hatred for the Desians filtered into his perception of half-elves. In his short life, he had seen so many humans who despised his race because of the Desians' actions. To them, Desians were half-elves and half-elves were Desians.

He wanted to tell Lloyd the truth about himself. To finally be rid of all secrets between them. Lloyd was not like other humans. He had never seen Lloyd show contempt or anger towards the half-elf race. It could have streamed from him being raised by a dwarf.

Now, however, given current events he wasn't sure if he should tell Lloyd. If he did, would Lloyd see him or the face of the Desians? He didn't want to lose Lloyd as a friend. Next to Colette, he was the only human he had ever really trusted. With them, he felt like he had finally found a home. For those reasons, he couldn't tell Lloyd the truth. Maybe once the Desians were gone and the wounds had healed a little, he would find the courage to tell Lloyd and Colette the truth.

"Genis," Lloyd suddenly spoke up.

Genis snapped to attention. "What is it Lloyd?"

"Why do the Desians exist?" Lloyd asked, causing Genis' heart to beat faster. "If it weren't for them, everybody would be able to live happy lives."

Genis looked down. "I wondered," he muttered. "Would everyone really be able to live happily?"

It sounded so easy. The Desians were banished and the world would be at peace, although history painted a different picture. Even during flourishing times, there was still unrest in the world. Most of it was based on the discrimination of half-elves. The book of Martel preached against this kind of hatred and many half-elves worshipped the Goddess, but the humans still despised them. He often wondered if the Desians exist before discrimination or after.

"What do you mean?" Lloyd asked, knocking him out of his musing.

"Sorry," Genis said quickly. "Yeah, Desians are the cause of everything that's wrong."

Lloyd gave Genis a funny look. "We duh, of course!"

Genis gave Lloyd a strained smile. "Yeah, of course."

Noishe looked between the two boys and whined loudly.

Genis gently patted the dog. "You seemed to know better than anyone."

They kept walking well into the afternoon. Since they were not expecting to leave the village the way they did, they were severely under supplied. They only had leftovers of Genis' cookies and some sandwiches to act as a meal. Not to mention they were generally exhausted from today's events.

Even so, they held off any monster that felt bold enough to attack them. They were not too much stronger than the ones Lloyd's usually fought in the forest. Genis was also there to give support with his spells, although he was dead tired halfway through the walk. Lloyd had Genis ride Noishe the rest of the way. Thankfully, Noishe didn't usually flee from monsters if he was in the open field.

"We may have to camp outside for the night," Lloyd said worriedly.

Genis leaned against Noishe's fur, savoring its softness. "But we have no sleeping bags. Plus, it's dangerous to sleep in the open."

Lloyd reached into his bag and took out the map that Dirk had given him. "Well, we should be approaching something called the House of Salvation."

Genis sighed. "Thank the Goddess."

"What is a House of Salvation anyway?" Lloyd asked.

"Don't you know anything?" Genis asked, getting back some of his old humor. "The House of Salvation is a safe house run by the Church. It has been blessed by the prays from the Goddess to protect it from monster attacks. They are dozens of them across the world."

"Really?" Lloyd said in awe. "That's handy. So, we don't have to sleep in the dirt."

"Pretty much," Genis said.

Lloyd folded the map up, or at least attempted to. "Hopefully, we'll reached it before dark. The worst kind of monsters will be out by dusk and I don't want to handle them." He finally gave up on folding the map corrected and just crumbled it into his bag.

It was close to sun down by the time they reached the House of Salvation. Both Lloyd and Genis had to keep themselves from cheering as they entered the sacred ground. The house was actually a large two-story building that was constructed similarly to the Church in Iselia. They were several people walking around the grounds. They were a mix of travelers and priests.

"Man, that took forever," Lloyd whined.

"Stop complaining," Genis said as he jumped off of Noishe.

"Easy for you to say. You rode Noise almost the entire way here," Lloyd countered.

"But I'm the fragile elf," Genis said in a sweet voice. "You're supposed to be the tough swordsman."

"Titta på det brat eller så kommer du att sova i ord," Lloyd muttered.

Genis puffed his cheeks. "I hate when you start talking dwarven."

Lloyd stuck his tongue at him. "Then learn dwarven."

"I would, but Raine said I should learn the other main languages first," Genis said with some heat. "Dwarven is not a common language and hardly anyone speaks it besides dwarves."

"Well, you learn a dead language that no one even speaks anymore," Lloyd stated.

Genis sighed. "It's elven, Lloyd. It's the oldest language in the world besides angelic. It isn't dead either since many elves still speak it."

Lloyd titled his head. "That strange since I never hear you or Raine actually speak elven."

Genis suddenly began to blush. "Well, I left the village when I was still young so I didn't get the chance to learn elven from the elves. I just learned how to read it."

Lloyd finally shrugged. "Whatever."

Genis rolled his eyes at Lloyd's lack of attention skill. "Anyway, where do we go from here?" he asked. "I don't think we're going to find Colette by just endlessly walking around."

Lloyd frowned in thought. Genis had a good point. If they didn't hurry, they would never catch up with the others. "I guess we can only ask people here if she pass through."

They walked around the grounds and talked to everyone they saw. Most of the travelers, however, were just arriving themselves and didn't see the Chosen's group. They were about to lose hope when they finally found a lead.

"You're looking for the Chosen?" a young priest asked. "Are you on a Pilgrimage?"

"What's a Pilgrimage?" Lloyd asked.

The priest gave Lloyd a troubled looked.

"Yes we are," Genis quickly jumped in. He gave Lloyd a dark glare of annoyance before continuing. "We want to pay our respect to the Chosen."

The priest looked between the two boys. "Aren't you a little young to be traveling by yourselves?"

"We can handle ourselves," Lloyd assured.

The priest looked unconvinced. "Well, if you are that devoted, I heard she was heading towards the Seal of Fire."

Genis nodded his head. That was what Remiel told Colette to do before she left. He had allowed himself to forget.

"Thank you, sir," Genis said as both Lloyd and him walked a way from the man.

"The Seal of Fire," Lloyd muttered. "Where's that at?"

Genis gave a loud sighed. "Really, we study this all last month. Do you pay any attention in class?"

"Only for the important stuff," Lloyd said.

Genis stared at Lloyd in disbelief for a couple of seconds. By the Goddess, Lloyd could be such a moron. "The Seal of Fire must be referring to the ruins west of Triet. The ruins, long ago, used to be part of Triet until a great disasters happened."

"So, you think the seal is there?" Lloyd asked, ignoring all the unneeded detail.

"It's the only place I can think of," Genis said.

"I guess it doesn't hurt to look," Lloyd said. There was a hint of excitement in his voice "So, we're going to the ruins tomorrow."

"Lloyd, we won't live long enough to reach the ruins," Genis pointed out. "We have no water and no supplies. We can't even feed ourselves. Our best bet is to head to Triet first."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Lloyd said in a low tone. "I just want to find Colette."

Genis' face softened. "Me too."

There was a long uncomfortable silence.

"So, do they serve dinner here?" Lloyd asked, breaking the silence.

Genis chuckled. It felt good to laugh again. "Yeah, they served three meal a day here."

Lloyd's eyes lit up. "Then we better hurry before everything is eating." He ran ahead into the house and Genis smiled as he followed behind him.

The dinner was small, with only chicken soup and bread to fill their stomachs. It was better than nothing and did give them something to ease their hungry pains. Plus, it was free, which was their favorite price.

The rooms were also free and they had an opening. Lloyd and Genis, however, had to share a room since they were together and the house wanted to keep as many rooms as empty as possible.

Lloyd removed his jacket and looked over the damaged it had suffered. It was not too bad considering, but he needed to mend up the holes. From what he could see, the steel woven was thankfully undamaged.

He reached into his pack and removed a box that held all his sewing supplies. With a needle in hand, he began to fix the tears.

"I didn't know you could sow," Genis said as he got down to his boxers and undershirt.

"Well, I kind of have to," Lloyd stated. "I can be hard on my clothes and dad doesn't have the time to always repair them."

Genis looked over the jacket. "Is that chain mill?"

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah, it's woven in-between the cloth that makes the jacket. Dad is a master of this, which is why it's so strong."

"But isn't that kind of over doing it?" Genis asked. "I mean, did you really need all that protections until now?"

"I wondered the same thing too. I mean, even my boots are highly durable and were design for mountain hiking. Dad even joked once that I could walk on magma in these." Lloyd chuckled. "But dad said that you never know when life might turn, so you have to be ready to defend yourself. Considering what happened, I guess he was right."

Genis nodded. "Yeah, Raine feels the same way. That's why she makes me wear magic resisted clothing despite the village being relatively peaceful. I guess you can't take too many chances with a Ranch nearby."

Lloyd stopped in mid sew. "Yeah."

He finished the repairs within an hour and the jacket looked good as new. He put it on to make sure that it wouldn't tear when he wore it tomorrow. Lloyd's attention was turned a way when the sound of metal hitting the floor reached his ears. He looked down to see a key crest lying on the floor

Lloyd slowly picked it up and stared at it.

"What is it, Lloyd?" Genis asked. He was sitting on the bed reading one of the books that was in the room.

Lloyd turned to face him. "Genis, do you still have Marble's exsphere?"

Genis' eyes widened as he reached into his pocket. He removed the red crystal and stared at it. "Yeah, I couldn't just leave it there. It...it just didn't feel right."

There was a short silence. "Why don't you use that exsphere?"

"Use it!" Genis exclaimed in surprise.

"That's Marble's memento," Lloyd said as he looked at his own exsphere. "Just like mines is a memento from mom."

Genis looked at the exsphere one last time before he made up his mind. "Yeah, I want to be strong so no more people have to die."

Lloyd walked up to the younger boy. "Where do you want to put it?"

Genis thought about for a moment. "Put it on my hand," he said as he held up his left hand.

Lloyd pressed the key crest firmly against Genis' hand and took the exsphere from him. Carefully, he placed the exsphere on the skin.

Genis immediately felt power rushed through him. It felt warm and soft, like a nice spring day. It reminded him of Marble. It was almost like she was standing besides him. How was that possible?

"That should do it," Lloyd said as he made sure everything was fine.

"I never felt anything like it," Genis muttered.

"Yeah, I thought the same thing too when I put mines on," Lloyd said. "You're get use to it."

Genis pulled his hand up to his chest. "Thank you, Lloyd."

"We better get some rest," Lloyd advised. "We have a long day tomorrow."

Genis nodded as he closed his book.

* * *

Colette stared into the fire as Kratos left to take watch. Raine had offered to relieve him during the night, but Kratos insisted he could handle it. Raine was worried about him being too tire to fight, but didn't bothered to stop him. He was a mercenary and knew his body better than anyone. She still couldn't help but to worry, however.

"Colette, you seemed distracted," Raine noted as she prepared her sleeping bag. "Is there something wrong?"

Colette bit her lip as she looked up to her teacher. "Professor, how much do you know about the Journey of Regeneration?"

Raine raised an eyebrow. "Only what they teach within the Church and what is written in the old texts."

Colette stared back in the direction of her home. "Do...do you know what happens after the journey ends? When I become an angel?"

"No, no one knows except the priests," Raine said. "I asked for the documents many times since the last part about the Tower of Salvation is always edited out, but they wouldn't let anyone see it. Not even certain high members of the Church."

"It's a secret that few are allowed to know," Colette said quietly.

Raine looked carefully at Colette. "Is it because it would be rejected if the people knew what your fate truly held?"

Colette nodded.

"Colette, what happens when you reach the Tower of Salvation?" Raine asked.

Colette glanced at Kratos, making sure he couldn't hear them. "When the Chosen reaches the tower, they must give up their human existence in this world. When I become an angel, I will die."

Raine attempted to keep a straight face, but she was visibly pale and had a troubled look. She then sighed softly. "I...I suspected as much."

"You knew?" Colette asked in surprise.

"I figured what happens at the Tower of Salvation was hidden because most people wouldn't want to lose the Chosen. It also explains why no Chosen has ever return once they became an angel," Raine stated.

Colette gave a sad smile. "I've know as long as I could remember that I was going to die at the end of this journey. That my death would bring happiness and a renew hope to the world."

"Colette...I can never begin to understand your burden," Raine said slowly.

"I will lose myself at every seal, but I won't be scare," Colette said firmly. "I have to be strong or else more people will suffer and die. This is what I was born to do."

Raine said nothing for a moment. "I am honored that you felt comfortable enough to tell me. I will keep you secret till the end."

"Thanks, Professor," Colette said with a small smile.

Kratos had listened to the entire conversation and bowed his head in shame. This was the world they had created. A world where someone would willingly die for a false goddess. A madness that would never end until a spoiled child got his way.

However, he no longer had the heart to stop it. He was part of it and shall remain so until his existence ended. He had lost everything fighting against the system of the worlds. Whether the worlds lived or died really meant nothing to him. It was all in the hands of fate now.

* * *

**Not much happened, but I do think that a chapter was needed between Lloyd's banishment and them walking to Triet. There is a lot to reflect on for all the characters so I hope you do not mind the slower pace.**

**KF2104, I may of pushed the 'what is acid' line, but Lloyd can be pretty dense about somethings that seems obvious to us. Lloyd is not stupid, but he does have stupid moments, plus that particular moment was meant to be a bit of humor in a very dramatic chapter. The mayor is a jackass, but I did try to make him somewhat sympathetic. As I have gotten older, I can understand the mayor's line of thinking and do believe that he was right in someways. That doesn't stop him from being a dick, however, and how distance he was from the suffering that the people from the Ranch was going through.**

**Kiomori, thank you for wishing me well. I am having a great time so far. Lloyd and Genis actually do help the people from the village in the game, if the player chose to do the extra stuff. Most novelizations, however, chose to skip over a lot of little stuff to get to the main meat of the story faster. I do not mind this, but I want my story to capture as much as the little detail that I can possibly do. Which is why this story is going to be ungodly long.**

**With that done, until next time.**


	8. Sand and Steel

**Sorry about the late chapter. I have been busy for the past couple of weeks. Nonetheless, thank you all for your support. Your feedback has really fire me up and I am happy that you all like the story so far.**

**Now, onward to the chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Sand and Steel**

* * *

A roar filled his ears and a monster appeared in his vision. Despite its' frighten appearance; it appeared to be in great pain. The roars no longer sounded like that of a beast. Instead, it sounded eerily human. It was like a human crying out in pain.

"Kil...kill me," the monster muttered in a broken voice.

It was Marble! No, it didn't sound quite right. There was also someone else here. He couldn't see them clearly. Their figure was cloaked in shadow.

He opened his mouth to say something, but no sound left his mouth. The monster, however, appeared to have heard him as it turned its sights on him. He couldn't move as the monster charged towards him. He saw its claws, then blood covered his sights. The blood was yellow.

The dark figure had stabbed the monster and its blood spilled everywhere. Another screamed came from the monster and then everything went dark.

Lloyd shot up, feeling almost sick to his stomach. He actually had to fight to keep his dinner.

"Lloyd, are you alright!?" Genis exclaimed as he jumped out of his own bed. Lloyd was shaking and didn't appear to be fully awake.

Genis had seen this only a few times. It happened every now and then when they used to have sleepovers together. He, however, haven't seen one of these episodes in years. He rubbed Lloyd's back gently, knowing his words would not reach him at the moment.

He had seen both Dirk and Raine take care of Lloyd when he was like this. Dirk had called them night terrors, but Raine referred to them as repress memories. Raine believed that Lloyd was remembering parts of his childhood through his dreams. Unfortunately, it seemed to only be the darkest chapters.

Lloyd's breathing eventually even out and he began to stop shaking. "Ge...Genis?"

"Yeah, it's me," Genis said softly. "You had another episode."

Lloyd lowered his head. "Yeah, I had one the other night too."

"Do you remember this one?" Genis asked.

"I...I actually do remember some of it. I saw Marble," Lloyd said.

He thought it was Marble anyway. The shape of the monster resembled Marble, but something didn't seem right. It just didn't feel like Marble. Even in that horrible, twisted form, it still felt like Marble when they fought in Iselia. He tried to hold onto the dream for a moment longer, but it once again faded a way.

"Yeah, I dreamed about her too," Genis said softly.

Lloyd shook his head. "I cut her arm off."

"You didn't know," Genis said. "I didn't know. Although, I thought that monster's mana felt familiar. But I've would never guess..."

"They must have been a way to save her," Lloyd whispered.

Genis sighed. "Regardless, it's too late now." He rubbed his exsphere on his left hand.

Lloyd slowly got out of bed. "We better get dress. We have to hurry if we want to catch up with the others."

Genis nodded as he briefly wondered if the pain would ever go a way.

Kratos was more than happy to see the desert town come into sight. They were making better time then he had calculated. He had thought that with two people who had never left their small town, they would be ill equip for long travels. He was pleased to see that he was wrong.

Although Colette had problems walking on the sand and she was obviously affected by the merciless heat, she managed to keep up and not complain. It was most likely her discipline that kept her together. Considering the task before her, it was expected for her to be prepared for anything. A lesser person would have long given up with the fate that the Chosen had to face.

Ms. Sages was also proven to be surprising versatile. She was not in the best physical shape, but she obviously knew her way around the land. It became clearer that she had traveled before. Then again, he had heard that she had only arrived in Iselia a few years ago. With luck, she may live through this journey.

"The Fire Seal should not be too fair from Triet," Raine said. "According to my research, the fire temple actually used to be part of Triet millennium ago."

Colette turned towards her teacher. "Wow, Triet used to be that big?"

Raine nodded. "It used to be a grand city that was a major trade center for goods. That all ended, however, when Efreet went out of control and destroyed most of the city. This day is known as the Rain of Hellfire."

Kratos closed his eyes. The disaster would had been much worst if it wasn't for Mithos and Martel. He remembered that day all too clearly since that was the day Martel gained her wings.

"Why did Efreet go out of control?" Colette asked.

"No one knows," Raine answered. "But legend has it that he was stopped by two angels. One of which who calmed Efreet down by singing to him."

"Yeah, the Church told that story," Colette said. Her eyes suddenly became downcast. "According to the Church, the city was destroyed as punishment from Martel. It was only after the city repented their sins that she sent her angels to stop him."

Kratos had to keep himself from snorting. Leave it to the Church to justify mass murder.

"We may never know," Raine said sadly. "It's all lost to the pages of history."

Within another two hours of walking, they had reached the city's entrance. Kratos still couldn't get used to not seeing guards or any type of soldier guarding the city. It was too open for him.

"We should restock just in case," Kratos advised. "We don't know how difficult or how long the temple will be."

Raine looked over their money. "We can't buy too much. We have to make our cash last through the journey."

"How much did the Church give you?" Kratos asked.

"A little over five thousand gald," Raine said.

Kratos frowned. "Was that all they were able to raise for the Chosen?"

"Cash is tight," Raine answered firmly. "All the cities have to fend for themselves against the Desians after the old capital fall. People can barely manage to take care of themselves and have little to donate to the Church."

That was understandable, but still annoying nonetheless. "I suppose we could always used the title of the Chosen to our benefice if we're really push."

"That would be risky since we will also clue the Desians to the Chosen's location," Raine stated.

"Which is why it will only be used as a last resort," Kratos said. "If we run out of money, we won't be able to continue and this world will suffer even longer."

"Yes, that is a very good point," Raine said.

"By the Goddess, it's the Chosen!" someone exclaimed.

Both Kratos and Raine turned to see people gathering around Colette. She had wondered a way at some point and was standing by one of the stalls.

"I know that jewel from the books," the person continued. "That is the Cruxis Crystal. The symbol of Martel herself."

Colette put her hand together and blushed. "Yes...that would be me."

"She looks so young," someone muttered.

"We will finally be saved!" another person exclaimed.

Kratos sighed in annoyance. On the bright side, it appeared they would be getting those free supplies. He then walked towards Colette. "You shouldn't wonder off, Chosen."

This got the crowd's attention. "Who are you? You're not a priest?"

"I am a mercenary hired to protect the Chosen," Kratos said in a deadpan voice. "Please, move a way."

The crowd was not in any hurry to follow Kratos' orders and did the exact opposite. Colette saw the crowd moving and attempted to walk backwards to make room. Without warning she tripped backwards and fell right into the building behind her.

Kratos quickly turned around as he watched Colette literally go through the sandstone building. There was a long moment of silence as everyone took in what they had just seen.

"Colette!" Raine exclaimed as she ran towards the fallen girl.

Colette picking herself up and looked over the damage that she had caused. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen!"

Kratos could only stare as he examined the hole. She had left an improbable hole in the wall that was in the exact shape of her body. Even the lines of her hair could be seen. Amazingly, she appeared to be unharmed.

Raine looked around after she was certain that Colette was injured. "Who owns this building?"

"I do, miss," a man said as he stepped towards the group.

"I'm terribly sorry about this," Raine said humbly. "We'll pay for the damages."

The man's eyes widened. "Are you kidding me!? No way will I charge the Chosen!"

"But..." Raine started.

"Besides, I will get more tourists this way," the man added excitedly. "Think of it, 'The Hole of the Chosen'. Has a nice ring, does it not?"

"But I still want to pay since I did cause damage, Colette insisted.

"It's best not to look a gift horse in the mouth," Kratos said.

Raine nodded. "Indeed."

Kratos walked up to Colette and pulled her a way from the crowd before she could caused any more damage. If she broke something else, he doubted the next person would be as forgiven. Thankfully, the crowd didn't follow them.

"We should get a hotel room to hold the things we won't need for the temple," Kratos advised.

"Well, I suppose one of us could go shopping while the other gets the room and put up our stuff," Raine said.

"I'll buy the room," Kratos said. "I assume you know everything we need."

Raine turned to Colette. "If you want, you can rest in the room until we're ready to leave."

Colette shook her head. "No, I'm fine. I want to see more of the city."

"That's fine as long as you don't destroy it," Kratos muttered.

"You don't have to be rude, Mr. Aurion," Raine said as she stared at Kratos. "It was an accident."

"In my line of work, accidents can get you killed. But I agree. I was being rude." Kratos said. "You also don't need to be so formal with me Ms. Sages. Kratos would do just fine."

"I consider it if you don't call me Ms. Sages," Raine stated. "If you must use a title, Professor will do just fine."

"Very well," Kratos said. "In either case, we must be moving. We want to reach the temple while there's still sun."

They then went their separate ways. Raine and Colette spent most of the time buying gels and band aids in case the worst happens.

"Look Professor, life bottles," Colette said as she pointed towards several blue bottles.

"This is the special medicine that is said to bring people back from the brink of death," Raine stated. She then looked at the price tag. "Too bad they're so expensive."

The man running the shop turned towards them. "I'll happily give you life bottles and all your other supplies for free."

"That's nice of you, but we can pay," Raine said.

The man shook his head. "If my wares can help the Chosen on her journey, I would happily give them to her."

Raine knew it was futile to argue further. "Very well. Thank you for your help."

Colette bowed. "Thank you so much good sir. May Martel bless you."

They took the supplies and made their way to the inn. Despite the size of Triet, there was only one real inn the entire city. The others were in 'questionable' parts of the city. From what Raine had gather, at least a third of Triet was lawless and was ill suited for tourists. It had become a popular kidnaping spot for people who sold their haul to the Desians.

She would have to keep a close eye on Colette while they were here. The people could easily turn on them and give them away. It didn't help that the Desians paid very well for those people who made their wanted list.

When they reached the inn, Kratos was already outside.

"Are you ready to leave?" Kratos bluntly asked.

"We have everything," Raine said as she looked at the sun. "We may have enough time to reach the temple by morning if we start now."

"I made sure we have enough rations for at least five days," Kratos said. "If the worst happens, we will have to live off the desert."

Raine turned to face Colette. "We'll leave whenever you're ready, Colette."

"I want to leave now," Colette said. "The sooner we go, the sooner that I can regenerate the world."

Kratos gave Colette a brief sad stare. This girl shouldn't be so eager to rush to her death. "Very well."

He led the group out of the city and back into the hot desert. One of the few good things about his crystal was that he didn't have to feel the intensity of the heat.

* * *

Lloyd walked sluggishly as he forced his legs to move across the hot desert. Genis, being in less physical shape then Lloyd, was once again riding Noishe.

Noishe was doing well despite his thick fur, especially with the pads that Lloyd made for his feet. Noishe had refused to enter the desert at first since the hot sand burnt his paws. Thankfully, Lloyd was able to make a quick solution. He only wished he could had been the one rewarded with riding Noishe. It was so freaking hot.

"Why is it so hot!?" Lloyd whined.

"According to legend, somewhere in this area is a gate that leads to Efreet," Genis stated. "The heat in this area is due to Efreet's influence."

"I think I heard that story somewhere before," Lloyd said in deep thought.

"If you didn't sleep in class, you would know this stuff," Genis said in a deadpan voice.

"That's not what I meant," Lloyd almost yelled, but he was too hot to get his voice passed a certain range. "I remember a story connected to the stars that talked about the gate of Efreet and his powers."

Genis nodded. "You're talking about an old elven lore. You maybe as dumb as a rock at times, but you do know your lore when it comes to the stars."

"What's that suppose to me?" Lloyd grumbled.

Noishe barked.

"Not you too," Lloyd mourned. He didn't know that Noishe said, but he had a feeling that it wasn't flattering towards him.

"It's a sad day when a pet's intelligence surpasses its master," Genis continued to teased.

"Don't you have something else to do besides torment me?" Lloyd asked.

"No, not really," Genis smirked.

"fräck skitunge." Lloyd said.

Genis was in too good of a mood to care what Lloyd said.

After almost another hour of walking Lloyd gave a loud sigh.

"How much further?" Lloyd asked mostly to himself.

"Are you even sure you're going the right way?" Genis asked.

Lloyd stopped and took out the crumble map. He looked over it carefully then glanced at the sun. "Yeah, we should be. I just didn't know the desert was so big."

Genis' eyes became downcast. "At this rate we won't reach Triet until sunset."

Lloyd put the map back in the bag. "Can't be help."

They were on their way again as the sun passed over them. Every now and then, Genis would cool them off by casting water spells, which felt like heaven against their burning skins.

They were slowed down every now and then by desert monsters, but they were easily dealt with. The real danger was keeping themselves from being poison. Since they had no antidote on them getting just one sting could be fatal, which was why Lloyd let Genis handle any poisonous creatures since he could attack from the distance.

It was late evening when Triet finally came into sight. They were too tired to even cheer as they dragged themselves into town.

"We made it," Lloyd said.

"I so need a shower," Genis said. He was caked in his own sweat.

Noishe gave a soft howl.

"What is it, boy?" Lloyd asked.

Genis suddenly grabbed Lloyd and made him duck behind Noishe.

"What are you..." Lloyd started.

"Desians," Genis whispered.

Lloyd looked ahead and saw four Desians standing by a building. They appeared to be holding several stacks of paper.

"What does this Lloyd look like?" one of the Desians asked.

"His likeness and description are on the wanted posters," the other Desian said.

The third Desian carefully looked over the wanted poster. "Who the hell drew this!? Couldn't you use a real picture?"

"The scenes of him were too fuzzy to use," the fourth Desian said. "We attempted to pre-render him the best we could, but the Forcystus' Ranch lacked anyone with drawing talent."

"Doesn't matter. We have the basic detail of his description and even these humans should be able to recognize him," the second Desian said dismissively.

The first Desian began to chuckle. "If he comes through here, he won't be leaving this town, especially if he goes through the lawless area. The humans there would sell their own mother for one-hundred gald and a sandwich."

The other Desians chuckled as they put up the wanted poster. They then walked off until they disappeared into the distance.

"Man...wanted posters and search parties," Lloyd muttered as he shook his head. "They're really serious."

"We need to hurry and find Colette," Genis said in deep worry.

"I though we were looking for Colette to protect her," Lloyd stated in annoyance. "This is more like we're looking for her to get help."

"Does it really matter why we're looking for her?" Genis hissed. "You think too much when you don't have to!"

Genis didn't like the idea of running for help either, especially since he wanted Raine to see how mature he was. At the same time, however, he didn't want to be caught by the Desians. You couldn't have an ego if you were dead.

Noishe gave a low whine.

"We better see how much damage that poster will do," Lloyd said as he stepped off from behind Noishe. They all walked towards the building and peer at the poster.

Genis had to keep himself from double over in laughter as he looked at the horrible drawing. No wonder the Desians were in so much distress.

Lloyd, on the other hand, saw nothing funny as he stared at the doodle of him. It very much reminded him of drawings that little kids did in school. Even the coloring was similar. It had a strange charm to it that Lloyd couldn't help liking, however. If the Desians didn't put this up to capture him, he would enjoy it a lot more.

"What is this poster?" Genis finally asked. He was struggling to keep his voice straight.

Lloyd frowned. "I'm I really that ugly?"

He never thought he was handsome, but he didn't think he was hideous. He just considered himself plain since nothing about him stood out. He wasn't like Genis with silver hair or even Kratos' with his garnet eyes. Now that he thought about, those eyes did look familiar.

Genis patted Lloyd's back. "It's good. They'll never find you with this. I think."

He knew Lloyd was an easy target at the moment, but he decided not to tease him on this subject. Lloyd never cared for his looks and wished he had a more exotic appearance. He never understood that since Lloyd looked different from most humans he had seen. It was mostly his eyes, which had an interesting reddish tint to them.

Besides, among his own kind, Genis wasn't all that unique looking either. He never understood why humans adore the different color hair of elves and half-elves. It just made them stand out more.

"Well, do you think we should buy a room?" Lloyd asked, getting back on subject. "I have enough gald."

Genis frowned. "We may have no choice. It will be night soon and the desert is even more dangerous. Not to mention cold."

Lloyd gave Genis a questionable look. "The desert gets cold at night?"

"Geez, Lloyd," Genis muttered. He looked around for a moment and saw a human size hole on a building on the other side of them. "What did that?"

He ran over towards the building and Lloyd followed shortly behind him. They were both stun to see a large, yet familiar, hole in the wall.

"What caused this?" Lloyd asked.

"Oh, this hole was put in by none other than the Chosen One," a man said.

"Col...the Chosen One did this?" Genis asked.

He really shouldn't be that surprise. Last spring, Colette fell and put a hole in the school's house wall. The hole was still there since the village was too cheap to fix it.

"Indeed and people all over the world will come to see it," the man continued happily. Genis could see the flashes of gald in his eyes.

Lloyd rubbed his head. "Well, at least we know she was here."

"You!" someone yelled.

Both Lloyd and Genis turned around to see two Desians running towards them.

"Doesn't he look like the guy in the wanted poster?" the Desian asked his partner.

"Let's see," the other Desians said as he glanced at the poster in his hands. He then looked at Lloyd and then backed to his paper. "Yeah, he looks just like that!"

"Good for you, Lloyd. They say you're good looking," Genis said with a smirk. He couldn't help but joked. However, how the hell could they know it was Lloyd from that goddess awful picture? Something told him this was not the first time the Desians mess up on someone's profile.

"Do I really look that bad?" Lloyd muttered with his eyes downcast.

"You must be Lloyd," the first Desian declared.

"Yeah, that's right," Lloyd said in a deadpan voice. There was little point in hiding.

Genis glanced at Lloyd. "What about your usual 'Who are you to ask for my name' thing?" This was Lloyd's usual cue to be a smartass.

"I'm not even going to bother," Lloyd said dryly. He was too tired to try. It had already been a long day and now he had to deal with these jerks.

The other Desian chuckled. "I guess you can't run away with a poster of your face everywhere!"

Lloyd glared at the Desian. There was only so many times he could stand being call ugly in one day. "You're really starting to piss me off!"

The first Desians sneered at him. "Get him!" He pulled out his sword and charged Lloyd. The second Desian already had his bow out and aimed at Lloyd.

Lloyd parried the sloppy thrust and pushed the Desian away with one of his blades. He didn't have time to counter-attack as an arrow nearly hit him. He was able to successfully deflect it with his second blade, but the arrow's head still niched his arm.

The other Desian used that time to attempt sneak up on Lloyd, but was catch off guard when a jet of water hit him and sent him flying. He, however, was not badly hurt.

"Take out the mage!" the Desian ordered the archer.

Genis knew he was in trouble as the Desian took aim, but Lloyd wasted no time running in to stop the attack.

"Tiger Blade!" Lloyd yelled when he got close enough to the archer. Before the Desian could shot, Lloyd slashed him upwards and then jumped into the air, taking the Desians with him. He then performed a downward slash and slammed the Desian back into the ground.

Blood flew as the Desian was cut apart by the attack. He gave one last scream before fluttered on the ground briefly before he went completely still.

"Damn you!" the Desian cussed at the lost of his partner. He ran in again, wanted to avenge his comrade death.

"Stone Blast!" Genis yelled as several large stones hit the Desians, shattering his bones in several place. He screamed in pain as he collapsed to the ground.

Lloyd walked towards the Desian to see if he was still alive. He saw that the Desian was still breathing as he raised his sword and did a quick downward thrust, ending the Desian's life.

"Lloyd!" Genis grasped.

"We couldn't risk him getting back up and calling reinforcements," Lloyd said in a tight voice as he wiped his blade on the Desian's body, he had forgotten to bring his cloth. He then sheathed both of his swords.

He still didn't like ended a life, even a Desians'. It was little easier to do it in battle, but it was something else entirely to simply finish a person off when they were already down. But that Desian would have killed them if given a second chance. So, what choice did he have?

Genis frowned. "Still..."

Before Genis could say more, a bolt of lighting suddenly stuck Lloyd in the back. He screamed in pain as his body jerked around as he collapsed to the ground.

"Lloyd!" Genis yelled in horror.

"Looks like we got here just in time," a Desian said as he walked over to Lloyd's prone body. Several others followed shortly behind him. "Too bad he allowed himself to drop his guard."

"What should we do with the bodies?" another Desian asked.

"Buried them in the desert," the leader said. "I don't want the humans to loot them."

Genis looked around the town to see if anyone would help. As he expected, however, the people just watched. Some even looked amused.

One of the Desians turned towards Genis. "What of the boy?"

Genis knew he was in a bad position. If he let the Desians take Lloyd, they would most likely take him back to the Ranch. He knew all too well what Lloyd's fate would be from there.

At the same time, he couldn't fight. It took him too long to charge his spells and they would cut him down long before he could finish his first words.

He looked from the corner of his eye and saw Noishe hiding by the stables. The dog gave him an odd look. It was like he was telling him to just go along. Although Noishe was just a dog, maybe he should try that.

"I...I'm scared," Genis muttered as he began to quiver. "Please...don't hurt me. I'll be good."

It was his most pathetic and cowardly act. If he ever made it out of here alive, he wouldn't be winning any medals on bravery. But in situations like this, survival came before dignity. Plus, he was no good to Lloyd dead.

The Desian's face softened and he sighed. "Take him too!"

Two Desians ran by Genis side and they escorted him out of town. Lloyd was unceremoniously carried like a sack of rice out of the city. The crowd that had been watching dissipated, seeing that the action was over.

Once they were far enough, Noishe jumped from his hiding place and took off into the desert. He allowed his senses to guide him as he followed the trail.

* * *

**Yeah, the plot is moving again, even though it was another slow chapter.**

**MysteriousClue, thanks for your review. Glad to see you like the small stuff that I added. I try to add to the feel of the story and make the world more alive.**

**Kiomori, thanks for your feedback. The thing that kind of bothered me about other novelizations is that the authors tend to gloss over Lloyd and Genis' banishment. I see what happened as a major event, especially in Lloyd's character devolopment, so I wanted a chapter that reflected on the event. I also don't care how fast Lloyd and Genis tend to reach Triet. I also cannot take credit for the sandwich scene. It was based on a Z-Skit that happened a little later in the game.**

**Anonymous Girl, tanks for the review and happy to know you have read my other stories. There are quite a few reference throughout my story. Sorry about the spelling errors.**

**With that said, until next chapter.**


	9. Desert Base

**Sorry again for being late. I really have no excuse this time other than me being lazy about editing and proofread. It just been one of those do nothing weeks for me. Thanks again for all your feedback and support.**

**Now, onward to the story.**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Desert Base**

* * *

Genis shivered as the desert grew cold as the sun fall. He attempted not to show his discomfort in front of the Desians. He couldn't show weakness to them. Lloyd would be strong in this situation and so will he.

"Are you alright?" one of the Desians asked.

Genis refused to answer him and chose to turn his head a way from him.

"He's not use to the change of weather around here," another Desian said. "It's to be expected."

"Are you sure it's safe to lead this kid to our base?" a Desian asked.

"We could hardly leave him in the town for obvious reason," the Desian said in a knowing voice. "If they didn't take him, the kidnappers would."

The first Desian nodded. "True, true."

They walked in silence for another hour before a large steel dome came into sight. Genis had to keep himself from panicking as the Ranch grew near. He had never seen a Ranch like this one before. Instead of an open yard surrounded by a steel gate, it was all enclosed.

It could be because it was within a desert. If they worked the people like they did at the Iselia's Ranch, they would all most likely die of heat exhausting within hours. For whatever reason, the Desians wanted to make people suffer within an inch of their lives, but wouldn't outright kill them unless they disobeyed.

When he thought about it, what exactly was the point of the Ranch? Before he met Marble, Lloyd used to tell him how the people were forced to do mindless work all day like cattle. When Genis saw the atrocities for himself, he thought he was going to be sick. The people didn't build or construct anything they just work. The most common manual labor was pushing heavy steal blocks all day. Did the Ranch exist just to cause suffering?

"We've brought the target, Lloyd Irving," a Desian said, breaking Genis from his thoughts.

Two guards stood in front of a large steel gate and one was glaring right at him. "Who is this child?"

"His friend apparently," the Desian said as he glanced at him. "What should we do with him?"

"The boss only wants Lloyd," the other guard said. "I don't see any need to bring him along."

The Desian nodded. "Understood."

One of the guards pressed a code on the side of the door and the gates slowly opened. The Desian carrying Lloyd walked inside, along with his other comrades. The gate closed behind them and Genis was now left alone with the two guards.

Genis knew it was time to return to his act. "What's going to happen to me? Lloyd forced me to come here. I didn't want to." He began to softly sob and allowed false tears to run down his eyes. He had mastered the pity act from dealing with Raine when he wanted something.

The two guards looked at each and then back at Genis. They both gave him a look of pity, something that Genis never remembered the Desians given anyone.

"Alright, as a fellow kinsman, we'll let you go," the first guard said.

Genis stopped crying and attempted to hide his smile. He couldn't actually believe it worked.

"Are you sure this is alright?" the second guard asked.

The first guard sighed. "What can a kid do?" Although, his tone suggested he knew what Genis could possibly do.

Genis decided not to worry about that as he began to flee. "Thank you for freeing me! I'll never forget this." He then ran.

He didn't stop until the base was well out of sight. It was now nearly completely dark and the wind blew unto his damped skin. He began to shake again, but it was more out of shock of what just happened. He had escaped, but Lloyd was now a prisoner of the Desians. If he didn't act, Lloyd would be lost.

A loud howl caught his attention and he looked up to see Noishe running towards him. Apparently, he stood just far enough to keep the Desians from seeing him.

"Noishe!" Genis exclaimed as the dog stopped in front of him.

Genis hugged his neck, getting comfort from Noishe's warmth. "We have to save Lloyd, but I can't do it on my own."

Noishe whined and barked in a manner like he was talking to him.

"I wish I could understand you," Genis said as he pulled away. Something told him that Noishe was more than just a 'dog' as Lloyd kept insisting. He seemed to understand and feel his pain.

Noishe suddenly knelt down before Genis.

"You...you want me to ride you?" Genis asked.

Noishe whined several times.

Genis wasn't sure what Noishe had in mind or what he could do, but he was out of options. He slowly got on Noishe's back and as soon as he was settled, Noishe was off into the desert. Genis held on for dear life as Noishe ran faster over the dunes. For some reason, Noishe was heading in the opposite direction of the Ranch.

Whatever Noishe was planning, he hoped they could act soon enough to save Lloyd.

* * *

Yuan didn't understand what Mithos was up to. It was bad enough that he had gotten Kratos to act as care keeper to the Chosen. If he had known, he would had never sent Botta and his men to what would had been certain death. He knew Mithos didn't trust him, but he didn't think he would pull a fast one like this on him.

Thankfully, the casualties were small. Only minor injuries and one death. Too bad, he was starting to like Vidarr, but he was a moron to challenged Kratos. However, he wasn't sure why Kratos was so merciful to the others. It was perhaps best not to think too much about it.

The next surprise, however, came that night. To think Kratos' son was still alive. Not only that, but he had the Angelus Project. It was almost like the spirits were playing a bad joke on him. That kid has been alive this entire time and had actually became friends with the Chosen. He had literally been under their noses the entire time.

The biggest surprise of all came from the man-child himself, of course. When he had learned that Lloyd was still alive, he half expected Mithos to order Forcystus to take his men and bring him the boy and the exsphere at all cost. None of that happened.

He simply ordered the return of the Angelus Project and even that seemed like a halfhearted gesture. Even when Forcystus' failure was reported, Mithos almost shrugged at the news. No, he actually seemed pleased. Why would such a failure please him?

Mithos was not one to forget about things. He knew the importance of an Angelus and why the Angelus Project was needed for Lloyd to grow into his sleeping powers. So, why would he want one over the other? It made no sense.

"Yuan, are you listening?" the voice of his 'boss' called.

"Sorry, what did you say, Lord Yggdrasill?" Yuan asked humbly.

Mithos glared at him in annoyance before speaking. "I asked was the transfer machine hooked up to the Great Seed?"

"Preparations are being prepared now," Yuan stated.

Mithos nodded. "Good, the Chosen should be here within a couple of months and I want everything to be ready for her arrival."

"Are you even sure Kratos will bring the Chosen?" Yuan challenged.

Mithos chuckled lighted. "We have no need to fear betrayal from him. His rebellious spirit has long since been broken."

"But seeing his kid again could fire it up," Yuan said.

"It will be that child that will keep him with us," Mithos said with certainty. "Kratos is of no concern to me. I'm more concern about 'others' in our operations."

Yuan knew he meant him along with some of the Grand Cardinals. Specially, Kvar and Rodyle were on Mithos' bad list. Rodyle was so bold that he had cut almost all contact with Cruxis. It was not too surprising since the Mana Cannon was nearing completion. He would have to deal with Rodyle soon before the fool gave himself a way completely.

"Lord Yggdrasill, what is to be done with the Angelus?" Yuan asked. He decided it was best to be blunt. "It's not safe to simply let him wonder free."

"The Angelus will be dealt with in due time," Mithos said in a dismissive tone.

Although Yuan could tell that Mithos was hiding one of his many dirty little secrets. Mithos maybe mastered Kratos' poker face, but he knew how to read certain body movements from him. Mithos had something big planned for Lloyd.

"For now, we just need to concentrate on the Chosen," Mithos said. "The Angelus Project is secondary."

Yuan nodded. "I will keep that in mind.

Mithos leaned back into his chair. "You're dismissed for now."

Yuan slowly stood up and said nothing as he left the conference. He was kind of disappointed that he didn't learn more. Mithos was playing his cards close to the chest. This was indeed a critical time for everyone. No matter what, the Chosen couldn't be allowed to finish this journey.

He walked into his room and checked his messages for the day. He was expecting it to be a slow day, until he saw a feedback from the Renegades. He quickly rechecked the message and saw the words he has been waiting for from Botta. They had the Angelus. Finally, some good news to balance off these bad couple of days.

With any luck, he might be able to 'persuade' Lloyd to join in his cause. If he could awaken that boy's dormant power, he would be a great ally against Cruxis. Not to mention a good bargaining chip to use against Kratos. He may even be able to exchange the Chosen for Lloyd's life if it came down to it.

He hated lowering himself to mastermind villain territories, but desperate times called for desperate measure. If he wanted Martel to finally have peace, he had to get his hands dirty too.

Yuan grabbed his Shallow and began his walked towards the transporter. Hopefully, Mithos was too busy with his other plans to be bothered by his absents.

* * *

Kratos kept guard over the still landscape as Raine cooked the dinner for the day. Despite his words about wanting to cook everything, it was truthfully not a realistic plan since he needed to keep watch and not spend his time cooking. Back during the war, he could have done both since he had a unit of experience soldiers to watch the front for any danger. Despite how capable Colette and the Professor were, however, they were not trained for combat.

It was truthfully too dangerously to let any of them take watch. Colette was the Chosen and the one that had to protect above all else. The Professor was a healer and would not be able to handle herself if anything managed to sneak up on her. So, he would just had to take whatever the Professor made. He could only hope that nothing she cooked caused permeant damage to any of them.

"You're so quiet all the time, Mr. Kratos," Colette said as she sat next to him. "You can talk to us more."

"It's not good to get too close to a client," Kratos answered.

Colette tilted her head. "Why?"

Kratos didn't answer for a second. "Because I'm a hire hand and it would be unprofessional."

"But you're more than a hire hand, Mr. Kratos," Colette said with a smiled. "You're our friend too."

Kratos almost chuckled at the comment. "We barely know each other. That's hardly a friendship."

Colette lowered her head for a moment. "That's true." Her mood suddenly brightened again as she lifted her head. "But we're going to get closer through this journey. So, we may become friends in the future."

"You're certainly a bright eyed girl. I would have never expect that from the Chosen," Kratos said. Especially knowing that she was going to die soon.

"Well, there's no point in staying sad," Colette said. "We have to enjoy things while we can."

Kratos gave a small smirk. "Wisely spoken words."

"Dinner's ready!" Raine exclaimed. "I think I finally got my sweet and spicy theory sound. I even added few new ingredients."

Kratos had to suppressed a shudder.

"Oh, I can't wait to try it," Colette said.

Kratos wasn't sure if she was being serious. Knowing this Chosen, however, she meant every word, which was more than a little frightening. Before he could contemplate that a moment longer, a loud howl got his attention. He knew that howl all too well.

He stood up and began to look around.

"What is it, Mr. Kratos?" Colette asked.

Raine also was at attention.

"There's something coming," Kratos said. This time, they all heard the howl.

"Those howl sounds familiar," Raine noted.

Colette looked over the horizon. "It's coming here!" She pointed to a white dot in the distance. Soon, that dot got bigger until its form could be clearly seen. "It's a doggy!"

Raine squinted her eyes. "No, it's Noishe."

"Noishe?" Colette asked in surprise. "What he's doing way out here?"

Raine put her hand under her chin. "Did Lloyd follow us here?"

Kratos wouldn't have been surprise if that were the case. From the little he had seen, Lloyd was as stubborn as his mother. However, he didn't see Lloyd on Noishe's back. Instead, he saw the other boy who was at the temple. Genis, he believed his name was.

It took a couple more minutes before Noishe reached them. The poor thing was exhausted and nearly collapsed on the spot.

Genis rolled off the dog and patted it. "Thank you, Noishe."

"Genis, what are you doing here?" Raine asked as she ran towards her baby brother.

Kratos took a bottle of water from his porch and poured it into a bowl. He then sat it next to his old friend who drank it greedily.

"Raine, I can explain later," Genis said, nearly running his words together. "Lloyd's in trouble."

Colette paled at those words. "What happened to Lloyd?"

"He was captured by the Desians," Genis said.

Everything stood still when they heard those words. Kratos nearly gripped his sword in fear. They all knew what that meant.

"When did this happen?" Kratos asked in his most calm voice.

"In Triet," Genis said. "We were attacked and Lloyd was struck by a lighting spell."

Colette looked around in confusion. "But why would the Desians want Lloyd?"

Genis lowered his head in shame. "They wanted him because we mess around at the Ranch."

"You went to the Ranch!?" Raine yelled. "You know that place is strictly forbidden."

"I know, but I met a friend there about two weeks ago," Genis said as he rubbed his exsphere. "Her name was Marble."

"Given the use of past tense, I take she's no longer alive," Kratos stated. He actually didn't care about the details at the moment. He just wanted to save his son.

"Yea..yeah. The Desians found out about Lloyd and me being at the Ranch and came after us," Genis said slowly before he began to shake with anger. "They attacked Iselia and burnt it down!"

Colette grasped in horror and Raine had a troubled look on her face.

"They killed dozens just to prove a point and they sent a monster after us," Genis said slowly, nearing tears. "It wasn't a monster, though. It was Marble."

"They turned a person into a monster?" Colette asked in horror. "I didn't know it was possible."

Kratos knew all too well it was possible. What a cruel thing they did to those boys. He didn't think Forcystus would have been that sadistic.

"We didn't know and Marble..." Genis trial off as his voice hitched.

"And you killed her," Kratos concluded.

Genis shook his head. "She actually self-destructed on the Desian leading the raid. They pulled back, but they vow to keep hunting Lloyd because of his exsphere. Because of that, the mayor had Lloyd and me banished."

There was another long paused.

"Banished, so you can never return to Iselia?" Colette asked in disbelief.

Genis nodded his head, finally allowing the tears to fell from his eyes.

Raine wiped them the best she could. She wanted to comfort Genis more, but they had other pressing problems to address. "Where was Lloyd taken?"

"He...he was taken to a Ranch here in the desert," Genis said.

Kratos blinked when he heard this. The Desians had no Ranch in the desert, unless Mithos added more without telling him, which was entirely possible. But it was impractical to put a Ranch in the desert. It was too hot for the people work efficiently. That, however, mattered little at the moment.

"Can you lead us back to the Ranch?" Kratos asked.

"I think so," Genis said.

"Then, we should leave now," Kratos said.

"The desert is more dangerous at night," Raine stated.

"We don't know how long it will be before the Desians put Lloyd to work," Kratos said. Genis shook again at the thought of Lloyd working like a slave. "They also want his exsphere, so we must move so they don't inquire it."

Colette nodded. "We have to hurry and save Lloyd."

Noishe barked, getting a second wind after drinking his water.

"Alright, but we better eat first," Raine suggested. "We will be no good to Lloyd hungry."

"Fine, who's cooking?" Genis asked.

"I made dinner for tonight," Raine said.

Genis' face grew pallid. "You did?"

"Professor, given the experimental nature of your food, I should remake dinner," Kratos said neutrally. "We want to be at our best."

Raine frowned at the fact that her food was being rejected again, but knew Kratos was right in this case. It was ashamed since she knew she had something. "Okay."

Genis looked towards Kratos. "You have my eternal gratitude." He was rewarded for that statement by receiving a hard slap to the back of his head.

The sound made even Kratos winced.

* * *

Lloyd groaned loudly as the darkness lifted from his eyes. His back was throbbing in pain and he had a headache. What the hell happen? He had finished off a Desian when a searing pain rushed through him. Then, he blanked out.

He looked around and found himself in a metal cell. There was a steel bed on the side and what appeared to be a toilet in the center of one of the walls. Well, he was definitely in some type of prison, but where?

Lloyd heard voice muttering on the other side of the cell bars and he saw two Desians talking. He tried to listen in to what they were saying, but his mind was still fuzzy. After a couple of minutes, the last of the fog finally cleared.

"...if so, I feel sorry for the kid," one of the Desians said.

"Yeah, he can't possibly escape execution," the other Desian said.

Lloyd's eyes widened in horror. "Execution, what the hell!?"

They both turned to face him. "So, he's awake."

Lloyd attempted to stand up, but his legs refused to listen to him. "Where am I?"

"That's none of your concern," the first Desian said. "But if you're good, no harm will come to you."

"Like I trust the word of a Desian," Lloyd spat.

"Desian," The second Desian chuckled.

"Just be quiet," the first Desian said. "It will still be awhile before that bolt attack wears off. So, make yourself, comfortable." They then went back to their duty and paid little mind to him.

Lloyd leaned heavily against the wall as he thought about his position. His weapons were gone, along with his traveling pack. Without them, it was nearly impossible for him to escape.

He looked to make sure the guards weren't looking and lifted up the edge of his gloves. He sighed in relief when he saw his miniature tool kit was still there. It had all his delicate equipment he used for carving. It was a convenient way to carry his tools without a big workbag.

But he couldn't escape with crafting equipment. Wait, he could use them to pick the lock of his cell. He was certain he could do it given enough time. The problem was, he couldn't break the lock with the guards watching him. They would stop him in seconds and take the last of his stuff.

Somehow, he had to get the guards a way from the door. He looked under his glove again, looking for something that could help him. None of his tools were strong enough to skin a cat, let alone a trained Desian guard. He glanced up to his hand and saw the Sorcerer's Ring mounted on his right hand.

Crap, he had forgotten all about the ring. He was certain he was supposed to put it back at the temple since it was a sacred object that no one could touch. He paused in mid thought as an idea came to his mind. The Sorcerer's Ring could shoot fire. If he did it right, he could somehow used it to distract the guards. It was a huge gamble, but it was better than nothing. He was not going to sit quietly and allow himself to be killed.

"Hey, time to eat," one of the guards said as he slid a tray of food under a slot through the door. Lloyd was not interesting in eating Desian's food, but his stomach growled in protest. He hadn't eaten since lunch and who knew how long he had been out. Plus, he would need all his strength to get out of here.

Making up his mind, he crawled over to the tray of food and slowly ate. It was hard meat with some water, but it wasn't too bad. He was expecting much worst. With his stomach having something in it, Lloyd relaxed against the prison's wall. Although he had been knocked out for a long time, he still felt tired. Being unconscious didn't replace sleep. He attempted to stay awake, but he eventually dozed off.

"Hey, Lord Botta is calling you," a voice broke though his sleeping mind.

He gradually woke up to see three guards talking to each other. He stretched his sore muscles as he listened to the Desians talked.

"Gotcha," one of the guards said as he took off along with his partner, leaving only one guard to watch his cell.

Lloyd's eyes widened when he realized that this was his chance to escape. He clumsily stood up and walked over to the cell's door. The guard paid no mind to him. He was not close enough to the cell for Lloyd to physically reach him, so he was in no danger.

Lloyd touched the bars and looked over the Desian carefully. If he wanted to do the maximum amount of damage he had to aim at the right place. He would have only one shot at this. He took aim with the ring and made sure to point at the Desians cloth clothes and not the armor.

With his target in sight, Lloyd shot a small ball of fire at the Desian. He hit his target perfectly and the Desian's clothes soon caught on fire. He didn't even realize it for a second until his flesh started to burn. The Desian was soon screaming as he ran around, trying to put the flames out.

While this was happening, Lloyd removed one of his picks and began to jimmy the cell door. It was one of the most advance locks that Lloyd had ever encountered. Nonetheless, Lloyd hadn't met a lock he couldn't break and he wasn't going to meet his match here.

The Desian by this time had collapsed to the floor and flames consumed his body. Knowing that his screams may have gotten someone's attention, Lloyd increased his efforts. Within a few minutes, the lock clicked and Lloyd casually pushed the door open.

He put his tools up and sighed in relief. It was a shallow victory, however, until he finds his things. Without a weapon, he was as good as dead. He looked around the prison area until he found his swords and his other equipment stuffed into a small box.

He didn't care how they treated his things like trash, but it was good that they kept everything together, although it was kind of arrogance of them to put everything in one room like this.

Lloyd strapped the swords back to his belt and felt much better having his weapons again. Now, the next part was to actually get out of here. He wished he had a map or something of this place to show him the way out. Making guessing was going to get him in trouble.

Well, he had no choice. He was getting out of this place.

* * *

**I think this chapter moved the story nicely despite all the extra stuff.**

**Kiomori, thank you again for your continue support and reviews. I thought adding the scene with how Colette made that hole would give a nice touch of humor in my story. I am not very good at writing funny scenes and part of what gives Tales of Symphonia its charm are those moment of humor in-between drama. So, I try to use as much of the source material I can to lighten the mood.**

**Kf2104, thank you too for your continue support. I personally though Lloyd's reaction to his wanted poster was kind of subdue given the kind of personality that he has. It wasn't until Dawn of the New World that reveal that Lloyd actually liked his poster, which is why he was not all that upset about it.**

**Shiro No Kishidan, thank you for your review and for reading all my other stories. I try my best to improve my writing skills and hope that I do get better with every story that I post. I hope you keep reading.**

**With that said, until next time.**


	10. Great Escape

**I wanted to get this chapter out a earlier, but my lazy bug ways were stronger. Anyway, thank you all for the feedback. It is you that keep me writing and I am happy you are enjoying my work so far.**

**Now, to the chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Great Escape**

* * *

The path to the Ranch was all too slow for Kratos. He had to fight the urge to rush ahead and leave the Chosen's group to fend for themselves. He was tempted to leave them back at the camp, but he knew that wouldn't go over well. Genis and the Chosen were good friends of Lloyd and they would never just wait for a complete stranger to save him.

Plus, he was supposed to be playing the part of an indifferent mercenary. He was not supposed to care about Lloyd. His only concern was ensuring the Chosen's safety and making certain that she completed her journey. Lloyd was just an annoyance and a setback to everything. That was his role in all of this.

How did all this happen? Lloyd was supposed to stay in Iselia and stay away from Cruxis. Why did he had to fool with the Ranch now and get himself banished? Even if it was the boy Genis doing, it all came at a bad time. It was like fate itself was against him and wanted to remind him of his past failures.

He briefly wondered if the Desians knew Lloyd was his Lloyd. There was a high chance that they did since they knew Lloyd had the Angelus Project when he fell. If that was the case, Lloyd could be on his way to Derris-Kharlan by now. Which meant, every second counted.

"There it is!" Genis exclaimed as the steel dome came into view. They all stopped short to make certain the guards didn't see them.

Kratos used his superior sight to look over the guards. They appeared to be Desians, but their uniforms were outdated. They also had the mark and colors of Forcystus' Ranch. If this was a new Ranch, it would be run by a different Grand Cardinal. Which meant that these people were not Desians at all.

He felt slightly better, but only a little. The Renegades were not to be trusted either as far as he was concern. They may not harm Lloyd, but they would used him for their own ends. He wasn't going to allow Lloyd to be used as pawn in this twisted game.

"I never seen a Ranch like this," Raine noted. "But it doesn't appear to be new construction."

"Subtlety will not be out best option," Kratos said. "The longer we wait, the more harm they may do towards Lloyd."

He actually wanted to hurry because he didn't want to run the risk of the Renegades telling Lloyd things he shouldn't know.

"Are you sure that is wise?" Raine asked. "Who knows what kind of security they have."

"Who cares," Genis said impatiently. "Lloyd's in trouble."

Colette nodded. "We have to hurry."

"Then, let's move," Kratos said as they moved forward.

They were all soon within eyesight of the front door and Kratos prepared to take out the guards with a lightning spell, when an alarm went off out side.

"What's going on!?" the first guard exclaimed.

The second guard checked some device on his wrist and paled when he read the data. "That kid escaped from his cell!"

"How the hell did he pull that off?" the first guard asked in disbelief.

"Who the hell cares," the other guard said in frustration. "We're to go inside and search for him."

The first guard looked uncomfortable. "Are you sure it's safe to leave the entrance unguarded?"

"Who's going to come here in the middle of the night?" the second guard said. "Come on, let's get moving."

They began to open the door and Kratos saw his opportunity to attack. He released his spell and struck one of the guards down instantly.

"What the hell!?" the other guard exclaimed.

Genis finished his own spell and several fireballs rushed towards the last guard. He was hit, but not too badly injured.

"That kid!?" he muttered. He didn't have time to think too long before a chakram hit him across the head and knocked him out.

"Well done," Kratos said.

"Looks like Lloyd couldn't remain still," Raine sighed, but she had a slight smile on her face.

"It will make things more difficult since he will be moving around," Kratos said. "In either case, we should move." He then turned to Noishe. "Please, stay here."

Noishe whined softly, but did as he was told. The rest of the group ran inside to save their friend.

* * *

Lloyd stood frozen as he walked right into a room where two Desians were standing guard.

"How did you get out!?" one of the Desians demanded.

"Uh-oh," Lloyd muttered as he backed away. He really had no luck today.

"Prison Break!" the other Desian exclaimed as he ran across the room and pressed a red button. To Lloyd's surprise, no loud alarm or anything like that went off.

Before he could think about why, a Desian charged him and nearly impaled him with his sword.

"Fool, don't kill him!" the first Desian yelled.

The Desians slacked his attack a little and Lloyd quickly took advantage of that. He pushed the sword off of his and slashed at the Desian's midsection, taken him down.

Once he was disable, he ran towards the last Desian in the room and attempted to do the same. He parried Lloyd's thrust and they went back and forward trading sword attacks. They were actually about even.

During their battle, the Desian saw that Lloyd was in a poor stance and used it to pushed Lloyd off balance. Before Lloyd could recover, he thrust his sword into Lloyd's upper arm.

Lloyd hissed in pain as he managed to righted himself and hit the Desian in the face with the hilt of his sword. It stunned him long enough for Lloyd to finished the Desian by cutting his throat. The man gave one last grasped as he fell in a pool of his own blood.

Lloyd didn't have time to rest, however, as several more Desians came rushing into the room.

"There he is!" one of them yelled.

Lloyd knew he was out match and took his only other option. He turned around and ran out the door. He could hear the Desians chasing after him, but he was able to stay ahead of them. Every now and then he stopped long enough to throw a Demon Fang to slow them down, but he still couldn't shake them.

His opportunity finally came when he got out of sight long enough to jumped into some type of storage room. He stood at the side of the door with his heart beating quickly.

"Where he go?" he heard one of them asked.

"He couldn't have gone far," another one said. "Lock all the sensitive areas."

"Yes, sir!" they yelled as he heard them run off.

Lloyd didn't move until the foot falls had completely disappeared. After almost ten minutes had passed, he allowed himself to move. That was way too close.

These Desians were much tougher than the ones he had dealt with in the past. Desians didn't seemed to be well trained from what he had experience. He met guards in the village that were tougher. These Desians, however, were good. Maybe the Desians in the Ranches were better prepared than the ones in the field.

It didn't matter. He was trapped in a building filled with these people. Even worst, he had only a few gels with him. One wrong move and he was dead. Wait, didn't that one Desian say they wanted him alive? Knowing how the Desians treat their prisoners, he may prefer to be killed.

Lloyd shook his head. He couldn't think about that now. The only thing he needed to be concern about right now was getting out of here. Then, he could worry about all the small details.

He gradually stepped out of the storage room and looked around. The hallway was clear. Finally, some luck.

Being much more careful, he walked through each of the long steel hallways. It was tough to know where he was going since many of the rooms looked alike. They all were filled with machines that he had never seen before. What was all of this stuff?

"Unidentified personal," a strange voice said.

Lloyd turned around to see a strange floating piece of metal. It had a circular body and hovered off the ground. It had a large red like eye in the center of its body and appeared to be glaring at him.

"Bio scan and mana signature matches escape prisoner, Lloyd Irving," the thing continued. "Restraining mode is activated."

That last part didn't sound good. Lloyd barely had time to dodged a bolt of lightning that nearly struck him. Getting hit once in a day was enough for Lloyd. He quickly removed his swords and ran towards the strange enemy.

He attempted to slashed it with his blades, but he didn't even dent its hard metal shell. The thing lit up and a strong shock knocked Lloyd back. Well, that didn't go well. Several more bolts of lightning were shot at Lloyd, who managed to dodged all of it.

"Demon Fang!" Lloyd yelled as he released a wave of mana.

The metal enemy buckled under the assault, but managed to hold itself together. Lloyd ran in again and performed Tiger Blade, slamming it into the floor. He was shock again, but it wasn't nearly as bad as last time. He finished it by thrusting his sword through its red eye.

It stuttered for a second before it finally fell down. Smoke rose from its remains. Lloyd took several deep breathes as he stared down at it. What exactly was that thing?

"Just what kind of technology are they using in this building? I've never seen anything like this before," Lloyd muttered. Just who were these Desian guys?

"The alert came from here!" someone yelled.

Lloyd knew that was his cue to run again. He didn't stop until he was several doors and hallways away from that creature's remains. He barely managed to dodged several search parties for him. He felt like a coward for ducking and hiding, but he couldn't fight an entire group of Desians by himself. They were just too tough.

Strangely, despite all their strength, these Desians seemed different from the ones who attacked Iselia. They didn't have the aura of malice like all the Desians Lloyd had met in the past. These Desians felt more indifferent than anything else.

Now that he thought about it, where were the other prisoners at this Ranch? In his prison cell, he was the only one there. There also weren't any screams of suffering and pain. Was this even a Ranch?

"Where is he?" one of the Desians growled in annoyance, stopping Lloyd in his tracks. "That kid in red couldn't just have just disappeared!"

Lloyd felt his heart stop for a moment as he ducked behind a tower of crates just as the Desians walked into the room. He stood as still as possible as the Desians looked over the crates, but missed him since he stood in the shadows.

"He isn't over here," the Desian said as he moved away from Lloyd. He sighed in relief.

"That's strange," the other Desian muttered. "How could we've miss him when there's only one passage here?"

A Desians let out a short growl of frustration. "Let's head back."

"That kid in red is a real pain in the ass," the other Desian muttered.

Their footsteps echoed across the halls as they slowly disappeared. Lloyd waited several minutes before he moved a way from his hiding place.

"Red, red, red. Does my outfit stand out that much?" Lloyd griped. What was wrong with red anyway? It was a cool color.

Deciding it was not a good idea to stand in the middle of the hallway complaining about his clothes, he began to move again. It was getting tiring ducking and weaving all the time. He just wanted to find the exit already. The problem was, he wasn't sure where he was going. He could be going in circles as far as he knew.

Why did these hallways all have to look the same anyway? Why couldn't there be some kind of placeholder like a picture, a rug, or even just a number on the wall? How did the people here keep from getting lost?

He was so lost in his complaining that he failed to see a Desian walked into the room from a parallel door.

Lloyd jumped back in surprise when he saw him. "Whoa!"

The Desian looked up in equal surprise. "What are you doing here?!"

Dammit, he really screwed up. Lloyd didn't have time to think as he ran towards the nearest door. He didn't stop until he was certain he was safe again. This was really becoming an annoying pattern.

"Phew, that was close," Lloyd muttered.

"And just who the hell are you?" a voice behind him asked.

Lloyd turned around to see a man with blue hair and eyes staring down at him. He had a looked on his face that was a mixed of annoyance and curiosity.

Once the shock had worn off on both of them, the blue haired man held up a hand and began to gathered energy into it.

Lloyd knew he was in trouble, but he couldn't help glaring at the strange man. He was not going to show fear to him. "Give me your name, and I shall give you mine!"

The man smirked and gave a short laugh. "You certainly have guts, but I'm afraid I don't see the need to introduce myself to a miserable little creature like you."

Lloyd felt the heat raised in his body. Did this man just snub him? "What a coincidence, cause I don't see a need to introduce myself either to a moron who doesn't realize how pathetic he is," he said before the full impact of his own words reached his mind.

The man was anything but amused as his eyes narrowed. Lloyd could tell that he went a little too far. "Why you little!" The ball in his hand got bigger.

Lloyd went into a defensive stance, knowing that this man was ready to kill him. He really needed to learn to control his mouth. Dad always said that his tongue would put him in the ground one day.

"That exsphere!" the man grasped in shock as the ball of energy dissipated. His face and eyes softened. "You're Lloyd!"

Lloyd put down his hands and looked at the man in shock. "What if I am?"

The man walked closer to him and eyed him like he was some type of interesting artwork. Lloyd found himself shifting under his glaze. It reminded him too much on how Kratos looked at him that first time at the temple.

"I see the resemblance," the man said in a knowing voice. His expression had changed to amusement for some reason.

What the hell was so amusing about him? Lloyd quickly took out his swords, ready to take this guy down. The man saw the action, but made no move to stop him. He actually seemed even more amused.

He began to chuckle. "I also see the resemblance to another person."

Before Lloyd could ask what he was talking about, someone ran into the room. Lloyd looked up and recognized him as the one from the temple who attempted to kill Colette.

"Sir, the Chosen's group has infiltrated the facility!" Botta exclaimed. "He is heading in this directions as we speak."

The other man frowned. "How many men have we lost?"

Botta shook his head. "It's impossible to say, but we lost contact with one part of the base."

He cursed in a language that Lloyd had never heard before. "I should have figure he would come. I thought we would have more time."

"You're the Desian that attacked Iselia!" Lloyd growled, ignoring everything they were saying.

Botta looked towards Lloyd and smirked. "So, you're Lloyd." He began to chuckle lightly. "Now this is amusing."

"Botta, I'm leaving for now," the other man suddenly said. "Our plans will be ruined if he sees me now."

"What of the Chosen?" Botta asked.

The man gave him a knowing look. "I'll leave her to you. He shouldn't be able to use his full power."

Botta nodded. "Understood."

The man then looked at Lloyd and gave him a hard stare. "Lloyd, the next time we meet, you're mine." He then took a back door and left.

Lloyd stared at him the entire time as he went out the door. That guy was like some classic villain or something. He had all the cliché lines down pack. All he needed was the twirling mustard and hat to complete the image. He already had the cape.

His attention turned back to his current situation as Botta and his men surrounded him. Yeah, this was really bad.

Just before they could attack him, Kratos and the others came running into the room. Lloyd never felt such relief.

"Lloyd, are you alright?" Colette asked in worry.

"He looks fine," Kratos said in a neutral tone. Lloyd, however, thought he saw a flash of relief in his eyes.

"Man, I happy to see you guys," Lloyd said cheerfully.

Botta sneered at all of them. "Perfect timing. I'll take care of everyone at once!" He then took a giant sword and charged at Colette.

"Colette, look out!" Genis exclaimed as he hurried to cast a spell.

Botta was cut short, however, when Kratos intercepted him and locked blades with the half-elf.

"You will deal with me," Kratos hissed

Botta narrowed his eyes. "Very well." They broke apart and began a series of sword parries and blocks.

Botta's men took the time to charge both Lloyd and Genis. Lloyd was able to parry his attacker and Genis finished his spell just in time to shot a blade of water at the Desian. He hissed in pain as Colette moved in on the Desian.

"Pow Hammer!" Colette yelled as a toy like hammer appeared out of nowhere and hit him upside the head. The Desian stood their stun for a moment. Not because the attack actually hurt him, but because the attack was so stupid and unexpected.

This gave Genis enough cast time to complete another spell. "Lightning!"

A bolt of lightning hit the Desian, causing him to back off, but he wasn't down yet. He ran forward and nearly gutted Genis. The boy cried in surprise as he fell over, landing hard on his butt.

Colette threw her chakram at the Desian, hitting him hard in the back. The impact was so great, that his spin snapped in two and he fell over like a broken puppet.

He shifted in both anger and frustration. "Damn you kids."

"Sorry," Colette said in a small voice. "But if you didn't do bad things, this wouldn't have happen."

Lloyd had his own problems holding off his Desian. Having his friends here made him more confident and a little more reckless than before, but the Desian still refused to go down. Lloyd attempted to hit him with a Sonic Thrust, but the Desian quickly dodged the attack and nearly cut off Lloyd's hand.

Lloyd backed away and did a Demon Fang, tripping the Desian. He saw his chance to rush in and finished the man. Before the Desian could get back on guard, Lloyd cut him across his neck, nearly taking off the man entire head. It wasn't quite strong enough to do that, but the man was clearly dead nonetheless.

Only Botta remained and he was barely holding his own against Kratos. Although Kratos couldn't use his full godlike powers against Botta, he was more than a match against the half-elf. However, Botta had gotten stronger since the first time he fought him.

Botta saw Lloyd and the others running to join the fight and he knew this was his chance to at least kill the Chosen. He didn't have to beat Kratos to do that. He began to chant a spell as he held up Kratos a moment longer.

"Engulf these pathetic land-based souls, Ground Dasher!" Botta yelled as a huge triangular chasm opened up under Colette.

"Colette!" Lloyd screamed as he rushed to save her.

"Dammit," Kratos muttered, he couldn't break his stance with Botta to save the Chosen.

Wave of stalagmites rose and fell through the ground, charging right towards Colette who had no time to get out of the way. Thankfully, Lloyd pushed her out of the way just time and got hit by the spell on his legs.

"Lloyd, are you alright!?" Colette yelled in dismay.

Lloyd looked down to see blood spilling from several wounds in his legs, but he was in too much shock to feel it. "Yeah...fine."

Genis glared at the man who had hurt his friend. "You won't get away with that!" He concentrated his mana into a spell as light blue ruins appeared under him. "Icicle!"

This caused icicles to form from the ground and surround Botta. He was unable to escape as the ice shattered around him, cutting him all over his body.

Kratos moved in for the kill. "Fierce Demon Fang!" he yelled as he moved to slam his sword into Botta's head.

Botta was able to regain himself enough to put his sword up and blocked the furious attacked. A wave of mana so powerful came out of the blade that it went right through the steel walls, but just barely missed Botta. His sword, however, shattered on impact and Botta was knocked backwards.

They all grasped in awe at Kratos' strength as he pulled his sword back. Lloyd looked especially dumbfounded as he stared at Kratos.

"He...he cut through steel," Lloyd muttered. He could barely dent it with his attacks. How did this guy get so strong?

Botta stood up slowly as he examined his now ruin blade. "I underestimated your abilities." He then stood up and threw the broken blade at Kratos.

Kratos casually knocked it aside, but Botta used the distraction to escape.

"He's getting away!" Genis exclaimed.

"He's no threat to us now," Kratos said as he slid his sheathed his sword.

"No threat, he tried to kill Colette and nearly killed Lloyd!" Genis yelled.

"It's okay," Colette said. "I don't want to see anyone else die."

Before Genis could say anything more, Raine walked into the room.

"Did everything go according to plan?" Kratos asked.

"Most of the Desians are currently locked into one section of this base. This gives us a clear path to escape, but we must hurry before they break my code," Raine stated. She trailed off a little when she saw something shiny on the floor. She leaned over to picked the object up. "Isn't this..."

"Professor, please heal Lloyd!" Colette yelled.

Raine looked up and saw Lloyd's injures. "Those cuts are deep. How did this happen?"

"Lloyd jumped in front of a spell to save my life," Colette said.

Raine nodded. "I see." She gave a short chant. "First Aid!"

Lloyd felt a strong warmth sweep over him as his legs mended themselves. They were not completely healed, however, since some scarring was left over.

"That's the best I can do for now," Raine said. "I can do more once we reach Triet."

Lloyd suddenly looked down. "Professor Raine...I..."

"Genis told us what happened," Raine said as she glanced at Genis, who also put his head down in shame. "I apologize for the trouble he's caused you."

"No, I'm the one that dragged Genis into all this." Lloyd said as he looked into Raine's face. "I'm sorry."

"Save the chitchat for later," Kratos said in a harsh tone. "We shouldn't stay here long."

"You're right, we should get moving," Raine said as Colette helped Lloyd up. He gave her a warm smile as they made their way outside.

Lloyd was glad to be finally leaving this metal maze. He hoped he never had to come back here again, but who exactly was that man with the blue hair. He didn't seem to be a Desian. What did he mean he could see the resemblance? Man, things were just getting more confusing.

The cool night air hit Lloyd and he immediately felt cold. Genis wasn't kidding when he said the temperature dropped at night.

A howl caught his attention and he looked to see Noishe running towards him. He wasted no time welcoming Lloyd back with several licks to the face.

"Noishe, you came, too?" Lloyd asked happily.

Noishe bark before he continued to lick Lloyd's face.

"Yeah, Noishe really came through," Genis said. "He was the one who found Colette."

Colette gently patted Noishe. "He's a very good dog."

Noishe nuzzled Colette's hand.

"I have a question," Raine said, breaking the mood. "This crystalline object attached to that weapon, is this one of the exspheres that Genis spoke of?"

Kratos looked at Raine's hand as she held out the crystal. "It would seem so."

"Oh yeah, you used an exsphere too," Lloyd said, remembering that day at the temple.

Kratos looked at Lloyd, slightly impress. Lloyd didn't strike him as being that observant. "So, you noticed."

Lloyd rolled his eyes at the older man. "Well, duh!"

Kratos narrowed his eyes at the smug remark. Lloyd still had a lot of growing to do.

"What are they exactly?" Raine asked, ignoring the exchanged.

"It will take awhile to explain," Kratos stated. "We can talk about it when we reach

Triet."

"Yeah," Lloyd said. It had been more then a long day and he wanted to get his legs fully fix.

They began the track back to Triet as the desert wind blew in their faces.

* * *

**Well there is not much to say here. Writing this was kind of hard since I found the Renegade Base escape to be fairly boring in the game. Not to mention the puzzle system did not make sense from a story writing point-of-view.**

**Kiomori, thanks once again for your review. Sadly, Yuan won't be appearing in my story regularly until much later. Which is a shame since he is one of my favorite characters to write. The tool around the wrist idea was inspired by the Jet Lee movie 'Kiss of the Dragon'. Lee's character had a woven band around his wrist were he carries all his needles and I though the idea would be great for Lloyd. Especially it would explain how exactly he picked the lock when all his equipment was gone.**

**Anonymous Girl, thank you for your review and I am happy you liked the chapter. I try my best not to follow the script too much, but I also want to stay true to the source material. It had been kind of tough trying to find the right balance and I am please that I have been successful so far. Also, sorry about the grammar mistake.**

**As for your question regarding Dawn of the New World, I do have plans but it won't necessarily be a novelization like this story. I would tell more, but I don't want to ruin the surprise. Plus, that story is a long way off since I will probably be posting this story for the next two years. lol**

**Until next time, take care.**


	11. Restless Night

**Yes, I managed to update in a timely manner this week. Thank you all for your support and reviews for this story. I have gotten a lot more feedback than I originally thought, so I am very grateful for all your kind words.**

**Now, onto the story.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Restless Night**

* * *

The walked back to Triet was thankfully peaceful. Kratos kept the lead while Lloyd explained the workings of exspheres to his teacher. Raine kept mostly quite and only spoke up to ask a question. Since they were busy talking, Raine and Lloyd fell in the back of the group. Lloyd couldn't fight anyway since his legs were still damage.

They reached Triet late into the night and they wasn't a soul to be found in the marketplace.

"This place is kind of creepy," Lloyd said. The city was like a ghost time and only the wind kicking up the sand made any noise.

"Be wary, this is when the city is the most dangerous," Kratos advised.

Raine nodded. "Triet is well known for its lawless areas."

"I'm too tire to care," Genis said with a stiff yawn.

They made their way into the inn and checked into the rooms Kratos rented earlier.

They piled into one of the rooms as they reflected on today's events and Raine took the time to fully healed Lloyd's legs, but she wasn't concentrated completely on the task.

"So, the exspheres are amplifiers that awaken our dormant capabilities," Raine said as she finished her spell. "I wonder if I could use one, too?"

"That would be difficult," Kratos stated. "Exspheres are harmful to the body without a key crest."

Colette titled her head in confusion. "Uhmm, could we make a key crest?"

"As Lloyd has stated, a key crest is made by processing inhibitor ore, then engraving it with a crest to control the Exsphere attached to its surface." He turned to glance at Lloyd. "It is said to be a secret art known only to the dwarves."

Lloyd took no noticed of Kratos' stare. "Yeah, I can engrave the crest, but only my dad can process the ore."

Raine frowned as she contemplated Lloyd's words, but she suddenly brightened up as she ran towards the bed where all of her stuff was placed and reached for her bag. She then carefully emptied the bag on the floor. To everyone's surprise, Raine had a small collection of items and other material.

Kratos briefly wondered how she could carried all that stuff from such a long distance. Maybe Ms. Sages was stronger than he original thought.

"Well, is there any inhibitor ore among these materials?" Raine asked as she shuffled through her stuff.

Genis jumped down from his place on the bed and looked over everything. "Raine, did you bring these from our house!?" He should had figured Raine was a traveling pack rat.

"Of course, they're valuable research materials," Raine said with pride in her voice as she presented some of things. "This is a holy vase from the Balacruf Mausoleum. This is a jeweled sword from the Martel Temple. This is a priest's crown from the Asgard Ruins. This is yellow ore from the Hima mines..."

Lloyd grew a little frustrated as his teacher went on. "What the...it's all junk!"

He knew it was a stupid thing to say the moment the words left his mouth. Both Genis and Colette looked at him in horror. Yeah, his lack of sleep and his natural smart antics was about to get him killed for the second time today.

Raine was in Lloyd face within seconds. Her face was red with anger as she glared at Lloyd. "What did you say!?"

Kratos stared down at the floor, not wanting to see his son murder. Something shiny caught his eye at that moment. It was different from the other things on the floor. He reached down to grab the object and carefully looked it over. He knew immediately what it was.

"This is..." Kratos said with a level of uncertainly. He didn't want to give too much away about his knowledge.

Raine turned away from Lloyd before she could do physically harm to him and looked at Kratos. Lloyd gave the older man a grateful smile.

"Ah, I picked that up in front of the human ranch," Raine explained, losing all of her previous anger. "It was engraved with angelic language, so I took it home."

Lloyd moved in to get a better look at the object. "Professor, this is a key crest!"

Kratos turned the key crest over to look at its back. "The crest is half worn off. It's unusable like this."

"I can fix it," Lloyd said without hesitation. He then took the key crest from Kratos. "Don't worry, Professor, you'll be able to equip that exsphere tomorrow."

Raine's entire face lit up. She attempted to hide her excitement, but she did a poor job controlling herself. "Really, thank you, Lloyd! I'm sorry to make you go through the trouble, but I appreciate it."

"Shouldn't you be getting to bed?" Kratos asked. "We still need to go to the ruins. We have already wasted enough time."

Genis glared at Kratos. "Saving Lloyd was not waste of time!"

"It shouldn't take me too long," Lloyd said. He was so busy looking over the key crest that he didn't hear Kratos' snub remark. "It should only take an hour. Two at the most."

Kratos sighed in defeat. "Do as you wish." He then stepped out of the room.

Everyone else did the same to give Lloyd room to fix the key crest. With everyone gone, Lloyd sat at one of the desks that was in the room and got to work. Although he didn't have his full crafting equipment, the tools on his wrists were more than enough. Tracing the crest back on was mind numbing work. It seemed simple, but the crest had to be carved perfectly. If it was off, even a little, the key crest wouldn't work. He got scolded by his dad a lot over his rush work when he was younger.

For some reason his dad made sure he knew how to carve key crests. He said he needed to learn to just in case. Well, looked like his dad was right again. He had no plans to tell him that, of course. He kind of wished, actually, that Dirk taught him how to process the ore instead of just the crest, but that require letting him used the furnace.

Despite the delicate work, he was finished in little more than a hour. He looked over it to make sure it was correct before he stood up. He gave a smile as his handy work as he went to give the professor her new toy.

As he walked towards his teacher's room he passed by Colette's room, which was next door to him. Curiosity got the best of him and he wanted to check up on his friend. He hadn't really gotten a chance to talk to Colette about what happened.

Lloyd straightened his jacket as he knocked on the door.

"Come in," a muffled voice answered.

Lloyd slowly opened the door and saw Colette getting up from the floor. She either tripped or was praying.

"Hey," Lloyd said awkwardly. Despite everything that had happened, he couldn't think of too much to say.

"Lloyd..." Colette trailed off.

Lloyd gave her a concern look. "What's wrong?"

"I'm...I'm sorry that father, grandmother, and I couldn't prevent your exile." Colette said in shame.

Lloyd chuckled lightly. She was sorry for events that she wasn't even there to see. "You dork. It's not your fault, so you don't need to worry about it." He suddenly lost his previous humor as his eyes became downcast. "And besides, I'm the reason why the village was devastated."

Colette walked up to him and gently grabbed his hand. Lloyd looked up to face her and saw the determination in her eyes. "For Marble's sake and for the sake of the villagers that were killed, I'm going to do my best to regenerate the world."

Could everything truly be fixed by regenerating the world? It sounded too perfect and made the people who suffered at the hands of the Desians seemed like a bad joke, especially if all of this happened because Martel fell asleep. What kind of all loving goddess was she?

Lloyd didn't voice those thoughts to Colette since it would just end in another debate and he was too tire to fight. "Yeah...I'll let you get some sleep."

Colette gave Lloyd a soft smile. "Good night, Lloyd."

"Night," Lloyd said as he left.

Colette put her hands together in a pray. Her eyes became a little moist as she continued to look at the door. "I'm going to do my best for you, too, Lloyd."

He maybe a nonbeliever now, but she knew he would see the truth when it was all over. He would live in peace in the regenerated and finally find true happiness. She trusted Martel to answer her prays.

Lloyd walked towards Raine's room and knocked softly on the door, not wanting to disturb the other guest.

"Enter," the voice of his teacher answered.

Lloyd walked into the room and saw Genis already dead asleep. His snores filled the room as Raine stood up from her desk to greet Lloyd.

"Professor, you're still awake," Lloyd said in slight surprise. He half expected her to be asleep by now.

Raine gave him a tire smile. "Yes, I've been organizing the data we've collected about monsters we've encountered."

"Yeah...okay..." Lloyd said slowly. Leave it to the professor to do boring things on her off time.

Raine looked down to see the key crest in Lloyd's hands. "Thank you, but you mustn't overexert yourself. It's going to be a long journey and I don't mind if it takes a while to fix."

"Are you saying that it's okay for Genis and me to come along on this journey?" Lloyd asked with a faint hope.

"Wasn't that your intent from the beginning," Raine stated with a hint of humor. "Stop pretending."

Lloyd blushed at Raine. She really could read him way too easily. "Here...here's the key crest," he said as he handed her the object. "Ask Genis to show you how to use it."

Raine nodded her head in confirmation.

Lloyd then walked over to Genis and pulled the covers closer on him. Genis was still snoring, unaware of anything in the world.

"That's some impressive snoring," Lloyd humored. He was glad that he wasn't sharing a room with Genis tonight. He wondered if Raine slept with ear plugs. Lloyd had a strong urge to pinch Genis' nose to see if that would wake him. Genis suddenly stir slightly, making Lloyd pull back. Did he wake him?

"Lloyd..." Genis muttered with a smile on his face.

"Is he talking in his sleep?" Lloyd asked in wonder. He thought he only did that. Was Genis having a nightmare?

"Best friends...forever," Genis whispered.

Lloyd felt his face go red. That was the last thing he was expecting.

Raine gave a soft smile as she walked over and patted Lloyd's shoulder. "He is really attach to you. Before we came to Iselia, he never really bonded with anyone."

Lloyd turned to face his teacher. "Why is that?"

Raine didn't answer for a moment, but she had a far off look. "Genis is different than most boys, which makes him an outcast. You saw him before he became friends with you and Colette."

Lloyd had nearly forgotten those days. They felt like distance memories despite it happening only a couple years ago. Genis was a very shy boy who spent most of the time hiding behind his books. Most of the kids saw him as a teacher's pet and left him alone.

It was really Colette who befriended him first, being the sweet, caring person that she was. After that, he kind of just became part of the group. The terrible trio, according to the other villagers. The Church was more than a little displeased to have another person 'corrupting' the Chosen, ignoring the fact that Genis was an active member of the Church.

"Professor, I'm sorry," Lloyd said softly, still lost in his memories.

"About what?" Raine asked, although her voice suggested that she knew what it was.

"Things wound up like this because I tried to save someone from the Ranch without thinking things through," Lloyd said sadly.

"Do you regret what you've done?" Raine questioned.

Lloyd bit his lip and lowered his head in thought. "I...I don't know." His body then began to shake with rage. "I just couldn't ignore someone suffering right before my eyes."

"What you did was morally correct, but was against the law," Raine stated neutrally. "You can't change what has already happened, but you can change what's going to happen...change yourself as well as the world around you."

Leave it to Raine to never give a direction answer. She also kept her voice perfectly neutral and didn't give away her own personal opinion. Maybe it was best left that way.

"Night, Professor," Lloyd said as he made his way to the door.

Raine nodded as he left. "Thank you, Lloyd. Sleep well."

As Lloyd closed the door, he caught something moving on the edge of his sight. He went towards the stair rails and saw Kratos walking out the front door. Wasn't he the one who said it was dangerous here at night?

"Where's he going at his hour?" Lloyd muttered as he carefully went down the stairs. The inn was completely empty and no one saw him leave out the door. Lloyd didn't have to look far since Kratos had only walked towards the stable where Noishe was sleeping. Noishe was also awake and seemed happy to see Kratos.

Lloyd walked quietly behind him, trying to see what he was doing. Before Lloyd could blink, however, a flash of silver came across his eyes. Within seconds, a sword's edge was right at his neck. It was so close that if Lloyd even turned a little, he would have cut his own throat.

Lloyd grasped in shock as he caught a glimpse of Kratos' face. His eyes burnt with intent and his face was harden, hiding any emotion. The blade was completely steady and was ready to make the final kill. For the first time since he had met Kratos, he feared this man.

"Lloyd..." Kratos whispered as the trance between them broke. His eyes softened a little and he relaxed his grip, pulling the sharp edge of the sword away from him. "I'm sorry to have startled you." He added softly as he sheathed his sword.

Lloyd was as white as a sheet and he didn't move for several seconds. "St...Startled isn't the word..." he barely managed to mutter.

Kratos looked at him in concern, which got Lloyd's attention. He had never seen Kratos concern about anyone. Granted, he only met the man a couple of times, but he was as emotional as a block of ice in a snow storm.

The concern quickly faded and gave way to his all too common mask of indifference. "You'd best not stand behind me."

Lloyd steadily shook himself out his shock. "Yeah, I won't..."

After fighting a base full of Desians, it would be mess up for him to die because he stood behind an axed crazy mercenary. This guy had the reflects of a cat.

Noishe began to whined softly, getting Lloyd's attention. Despite the near fatal incident, Noishe appeared to be comfortable around Kratos. Which was strange given how Noishe usually acted around strangers.

"Do you like animals?" Lloyd asked, although Kratos didn't strike him as an animal lover.

"No, not particularly," Kratos answered, never turning to face Lloyd.

Lloyd frowned in thought. "Well, Noishe seems to be quite comfortable with you. He usually doesn't like strangers."

Kratos was quiet for a moment as he gently stroked Noishe's fur. For a moment, Kratos actually seemed human.

"I once had a pet, long ago," Kratos said.

Noishe barked and whine several times.

"Really?" Lloyd asked. He wondered if it was a goldfish. Knowing Kratos, he probably ate it for survival reasons.

"Lloyd," Kratos suddenly said in a firm voice. Kratos turned to look at Lloyd and he once again gave him that odd look.

Was there something about him that was so strange? That Desian at the Ranch gave him that cold stare too. It was really starting to get old.

"Why are you staring at me like that for?" Lloyd finally asked.

"Your swordsmanship is unrefined," Kratos said. "You should focus a little more on eliminating your vulnerabilities." He then turned to leave. "If you care about your life." He added as he left Lloyd to his thoughts.

Lloyd stood there slacked jaw for a moment. He gave him that look over just to tell him that? "Just because he's a little better than me, he has to talk like he knows everything! …Well…a lot better than me. Damn!"

He knew that Kratos was much better than him with a sword. He clearly saw that at the temple after he beat that Desian like it was nothing. Today just confirmed everything. The man can cut through freaking steel! Man, he hated Kratos for being so good.

Lloyd let out a few more curses in dwarven as he walked back towards the inn. He shouldn't had follow that arrogant jerk out.

Kratos watched Lloyd leave as he leaned against an empty stall. He didn't mean to upset Lloyd, but those words were the first thing to entered his mind. From the little he had seen of Lloyd's fights, the boy had a long way to go if he wanted to improve his skills. His father would had never allow Lloyd to become so unbalanced.

To be fair, Lloyd was self-trained and didn't know any better. Given where he grew up, he wasn't too bad. He could see how Lloyd could get cocky with his skills if he only fought the footmen that guarded the Ranch and did the dirty work during the raid. The common dirt farmers during the war were more skilled in combat than them. If Lloyd wanted to live through any real fighters, he needed to get stronger, especially if Mithos was after him.

But he swore that Lloyd would never become a warrior. That he would never filthy his hands with blood and the life of another man.

Those, however, were long broken promises. He also promised to protect Lloyd and Anna. He killed Anna with his own hands and abandoned Lloyd to his fate. He also promised to rid the world of Cruxis and Desians. That Lloyd would not grow up under their cruel rule.

Yet he allowed the Desians taint Lloyd in the worst possible way. Although he didn't know the woman, Marble, he was grateful that she killed herself and not made Lloyd do the deed. He may still feel guilty for her death, but that pain would had been greatly worst if he stuck the final blow.

In either case, he had broken all of his vows to Lloyd. What was one more in the great scheme of the things? Lloyd was on this journey now, whether he liked it or not. Might as well trained him so he wouldn't be a burden.

He, however, couldn't force Lloyd to train with him. A teacher, student relationship was sacred and couldn't be force. If he wanted Lloyd to learn, he had to trust him. At the moment, Lloyd seemed to despised him. As he should, since he had done nothing but mocked him. It was best for him to eased up on his criticisms and allow Lloyd to come to him. Once that happened, they could build on that trust.

Kratos had almost laughed at the word trust. If Lloyd did see this to the end; he would have to do something truly unforgivable. He hoped by that time, he could turn Lloyd's eyes from what was going on. If Lloyd did go to the tower, he would be walking straight to Mithos for either an untimely death or an eternity of servitude. At this point, he could only hope for the best.

He decided he better turn in for the night. He still had to keep his front up and tomorrow was the real beginning of the Journey of Regeneration.

* * *

Lloyd quickly put his belt on as he rushed downstairs. He was running late and the others were waiting for him. It was not his fault. He only gotten like three hours of sleep. After he got back to his room, he needed to repair his pants. He wasn't so concern about the pants that everyone saw, but his long johns. He didn't have a spare of that and he didn't want to walk around with holes.

When he got outside, Raine, Kratos, and Genis gave him a hard stare.

"You're late," Kratos stated.

Raine shook her head. "Honestly, you can't even be on time outside of class."

Lloyd put his head down. "Sorry."

"Let's just get moving," Kratos said. "We may still be able to reach the ruins before the sun gets too low."

Even without Lloyd, they still got a late start. Since everyone went to bed late, it was impractical to raise everyone in the morning. Kratos had allowed everyone to sleep passed noon. Even so, everyone was still effected by sleep.

They didn't move as fast as yesterday, even with Noishe carrying Genis. The boy had next to no endurance and it was something that Kratos had to watch for. Despite his current shortcomings, the boy had the potential to become a powerful mage one day.

"Other than the Chosen, our group doesn't look like one that's on a journey to save the world," Kratos noted mostly to himself.

Raine, who was walking next to him, heard the comment and turned to look at the older man. "You still don't trust Lloyd and Genis?"

Kratos glanced at her from the side of his eyes. He hadn't meant for people to hear his statement. "They are much too young to bear the fate of the world," he said to cover himself. "I'm concerned that they will not be able to handle this journey."

Raine gave him a hard look. "While I may be an elf, but I'm still just a school teacher from a small village and you're a mercenary who fights for money. I don't think we're fit to handle the task of saving the world, either, wouldn't you agree?"

"Humph, indeed," Kratos muttered. She really did have no idea.

They reached the ruins around four in the afternoon, which was a welcomed change from the empty desert.

"Ah, so hot...man, I'm beat," Lloyd moaned. He had been nearly jumping in excitement about seeing the ruins after they left. Apparently, this was a common behavior for Lloyd.

Genis gave Lloyd a smug smirk. "See, you're already worn out."

Lloyd was too tire to even counter his friend. "I'm sick of this desert."

Genis would never say it, but so was he. There was nothing but sand around here.

Noishe began to shiver and moved a way from the ruins.

"What's wrong, Noishe?" Lloyd asked in concern.

Noishe suddenly turned around and ran the other way. He jolted so fast that Genis flew off the dog and landed ungratefully into the sand.

"Genis, are you okay?" Colette asked as she helped Genis up.

Genis grumbled as he dusted himself off. "Stupid dog!"

Raine shook her head. "That's what happens when you depend on another creature for transport."

Kratos was on guard as he reached for his sword. "Be on your guard, there are enemies about!"

Like clockwork, two rock like creatures came floated towards them.

"What the heck are those!?" Lloyd exclaimed as he reached for his swords.

"Fire Elements," Raine stated as she ready her staff.

Lloyd looked towards her. "Fire Elements? What kind of name is that?"

"Think about it later, Lloyd," Genis as he ready a spell. With his chant completed, Genis shot several blades of water towards one of the monster. The attack hit dead on causing the monster to flinched, but it hardly stopped its advance.

Lloyd moved in and hit the Fire Element with a Tiga Blade. The monster flared up and attempted to burn Lloyd alive. Luckily, Lloyd's clothes protected him from most of the heat.

"Sharpness!" Raine yelled as she enhanced Colette's weapons.

Colette then threw her chakrams at the monster so hard that it became embedded itself into its body. The rock like skin cracked, but it was still moving.

Lloyd gave the finishing blow as he did a Sonic Thrust right in its weak spot. The monster broke apart and fell lifelessly unto the sand.

Kratos was able to single-handedly handled his monster. With one slashed of his sword, he split the Fire Element in half. It pieces flew in opposite directions as Kratos sheathed his sword.

He did a quick scan and sense no more monsters in the immediate area. He then looked over to the rest of his team, who just killed their own monster a second ago. Rock Elements were one of the weakest monsters. If it took all four of them to handle one, this was going to be a sever problem.

"This is going to be a nuisance," Kratos muttered.

Lloyd looked to him in confusion. "What is?"

Kratos shook his head. "Nothing." He really needed to keep his thoughts to himself. No point in discouraging them. "Anyway, it would be a good idea for you to learn techniques to protect yourself."

"Are you talking about self-defense training?" Colette asked.

"Something like that," Kratos said as he took out his sword again. "I'm going to teach you a technique that will allow you to used your own mana as a type of barrier. It will protect you against physical and even magical attacks up to a point."

"Wow, you know something like that?" Genis asked in awe.

"In my line of work, you use all your knowledge to survive," Kratos answered. "I will show you first and then you can try." He put his sword into a defensive position and a sphere of green mana surrounded him.

All of them stared in awe of Kratos. Even Raine looked impressed, but there was some suspicion in her eyes. There was something about Kratos that didn't strike her as right, but she could put her finger on it.

Kratos dropped his barrier and looked expectedly at all of them. "It's your turn now."

After about a hour, each of them could used a form of barrier to various degrees. Raine caught on the quickest and erected a Force Field. Kratos knew this type of barrier was more effective against magical attacks then physical. It was well suited for a caster.

Genis was next and he also managed to created a Force Field, although his was not nearly as powerful as Raine's. It was, however, impressive nonetheless for someone his age.

Colette was able to eventually learned to control her barrier, except hers was neither a Guardian or a Force Field. After he looked it over, he realized that she managed to create what was known as a Damage Guard. It was a shield that was equally good against physical and magical attacks. It was fairly rare for a person to be able to create one, but he should have expected no less from Martel's vessel.

Lloyd had the most trouble of the entire group. He had problems keeping his shield up and it kept faulting.

"You're not concentrating," Kratos scowled. "In order to maintain a shield, you must keep you mind focused on the barrier."

"Focusing and Lloyd don't get along," Genis said with humor.

"I don't get it," Lloyd said in frustration. "I can control mana when I use my attacks."

"That's because your move set require you to release a bust of mana instead of a steady amount," Kratos said. "Although it isn't completely your fault. Human's can't control mana easily. It is your exsphere that has allow you to control it to the extent that you have."

Colette walked up to Lloyd and gently patted his arm. "You'll get it Lloyd."

After a few more minutes, Lloyd was able to maintain his shield more. It wasn't much, but it should keep him a live for the time being.

"That's enough for now. As you train on your own, you all should become more effective in creating your shields," Kratos stated. "However, you can't abuse them and they will weaken and break if you depend on them too much. Only used them as a very last resort."

Lloyd nodded and gave a huge smile. "Okay, I don't really get it, but I already feel stronger!"

Lloyd's sudden mood changes were reminding Kratos more and more of a certain man child.

"I can't wait to try it out!" Lloyd continued happily.

"I think you're just imagining things," Genis muttered jokingly.

Lloyd stuck his tongue at the younger boy as they moved closer to the ruins. They also noticed that Raine's mood started to change. Instead of being her normal calm self, she was beginning to shake. She looked like Lloyd when he was particular excited about something.

Genis put his head down and looked away from Raine. He knew what was going to happen and he could do nothing to stop it. When they were within a couple steps of the ruins, Raine suddenly shot ahead.

This even took Kratos off-guard since Raine didn't know if the area was even safe. He sensed for any hostile mana ahead, but found nothing. Raine was too busying looking over everything to care. Her eyes were lit up like stars on a moonless night.

Colette caught sight of something and also ran ahead. In the center of the ruins was an altar of some type. "Say, is this the seal? It has my family's crest on it?"

This caught Raine's attention and she ran to Colette's side. She looked over the altar, examining everything. "Fantastic!"

Everyone, saved for Genis, looked at in surprise Raine. Even Kratos looked a little unnerved.

"Look at this slab covering the entrance! It's clearly of a different composition than the surrounding stone!" Raine exclaimed as she fell to her knees, feeing the stone with her hands. She then began to laugh insanely. "It's just as I thought! This is polycarbonate, developed during the Ancient War to defend against magic! Oh, feel the smooth surface! It's wondrous!"

Kratos was surprised by her knowledge. He had thought such information was long since lost to this world. Then again, this woman was a freak of nature. "Is she always like this?" He had to asked.

Genis looked down in shame. He looked like he just wanted to disappear.

"Is she?" Lloyd asked, looking directly at Genis.

He knew he couldn't hide it anymore. "I've been trying so hard to hide it, too. Raine...Raine's a ruin manic."

"Ruin manic?" Colette asked. "Is that some type of disease?"

Genis kicked the sand beneath him. "Something like that. She's been like this for as long as I can remember. Raine just goes nuts whenever she near any kind of ruins."

"Humph," Kratos muttered.

"This depression…it reads, 'oracle stone'," Raine suddenly said, getting everyone's attention again. She then turned to face Colette. "Colette, place your hand here. That should reveal the entrance."

"Really?" Lloyd asked in awe.

Raine nodded. "This stone is enchanted with magic designed to identify the Chosen. There's no question about it."

Kratos nodded in approval. He had to admit, when the Professor got her act together, she was extremely knowledgeable. He could see why the Church picked her to go on this journey.

Colette walked up to the pedestal and placed her hand on the stone. A loud rumble was heard as a slab of stone moved to reveal an underground passage. It was so hot, that they could feel the heat flowing out of the hole. It was followed by a stall smell.

"It opened!" Colette cheered. "Wow, I guess I'm really the Chosen!"

"Yes, I think we know that already," Genis said in a deadpan voice as he shook his head.

Colette just gave a cheerful smile.

"Okay, now it's getting exciting!" Lloyd said, barely containing himself.

Kratos glanced at Lloyd. "I hope you'll be able to maintain that enthusiasm."

Without waiting another moment, the group descended into the passage way and onto the first trial.

* * *

**Finally, we are entering the first seal. The fun starts next chapter.**

**Kiomori, thank you for your continue support. I really enjoy reading your reviews and hope you keep reading. As for Botta, I already found it strange that after the Renegades attacked the temple that they never made no other attempts to kill Colette. I guess they became distracted after they knew about Lloyd, but that was something that kind of bugged me. It also made sense in that moment since Kratos alone could handle Botta so the entire team did not need to jump him like in the game. Also, I did not put together Kratos was Lloyd's father until late, mostly because I was thrown off by Kratos only being twenty-eight.**

**MysteriousClue, thanks for your review. Glad to have you back. I am so happy that enjoy my story so much. I always enjoy novelizations of my favorites games, but I have only found precious few that were good and were not just game scripts. Even worst, the really good ones tend to never get completed. I hope to avoid both these shortfalls in my story and I am please to hear that I am doing a good job so far. I do my best to make this story more base in reality and not so much game mechanics, but keep the heart of what the game so great.**

**Chocobo Scribe, glad to have your review and I hope to hear more from you. I am happy to know that my story is making you want to play this great game again.**  
** I personally never saw Forcytus, however, as an honorable antagonist. Granted, he is not nearly as bad as the other Grand Cardinals, but he did kind of jump the moral horizon with what he did to Marble. Not to mention some of the other stuff he did before he was killed. If things were different, Forcytus may had taken a better path in life that would had put him more in line with Lloyd's ideas, but he did too much crap for me to see him as completely sympathetic.**

**I also don't know about Lloyd having ADHD. Then again, I don't know much about this disorder so I cannot comment too much on this subject. I personally just see Lloyd as someone who is not motivated by academic. I went to school with people like that who simply want to do things that they are good at, like drawing or music, and not bother with the other stuff. That is my take anyway.**

**With that, until next time.**


	12. Seal of Fire

**With not much to say, thank you once again for all the feedback and hits.**

**Now, to the story.**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Seal of Fire**

* * *

The passage was dark and Lloyd could barely see in front of him. The heat was even worst and it felt like he was slowly baking. Even Dirk's cave wasn't this bad.

"Man, I can't see a thing," Genis said.

"This will be a problem if the entire temple is like this," Raine noted in a worry voice.

Colette moved further into the hallway and suddenly the walls began light up. Colette fell backwards in shock as several more lights came on. They quickly realized that the torches mounted on the wall had bust into flames.

"Astonishing, the torches reacted to Colette's presences," Raine said in awe as she looked the torches. "Interesting, they seemed no different from regular torches. I must examine them."

"Later, Raine," Genis sighed.

Kratos looked at the walls with dim interest. Yuan must had rigged the torches to react when they felt the Cruxis Crystal of the Chosen. It was a simple, but very clever set up.

He was more concern about the monsters that had breed within the temple. They would be stronger than the ones outside since they were force to fight for their lives to survive within the enclosed space for untold centuries. Without Centurion Ignis to guide them, they would be wild and dangerous.

"This place is kind of creepy," Lloyd said.

"From what I've read, these ruins used to be part of an old temple that worship the spirit of fire," Raine stated.

"What happened to the other part?" Colette asked.

"It has long eroding away by the desert," Raine said sadly. "The only reason this much remains is because the Church has been maintaining it."

With no more to discuss, the group began to move carefully through the musty hallways. So far, they hadn't seen any monsters, but they did leave their mark. Everywhere they turned, they saw skeletons and other remains of fallen monsters. The smell of decaying flesh also flowed throughout the halls.

Lloyd shuffled his coat around as he attempted to cool himself. He was drenched in his own sweat. "Dang, it has to be over one-hundred degrees in here."

"Yeah, my clothes feel like I jumped into a swimming pool," Genis groaned.

"Keep yourselves hydrated," Kratos warned. "Becoming dehydrated will lower your reflexes and fool your senses."

Raine reached into her bag and gave Genis a jug of water, which he greedily gulped down. "Don't drank so fast. You'll make yourself sick."

"Yeah, and save some," Lloyd said as he snatched the jug out of Genis' hand and drunk a mouthful himself.

Once Lloyd had enough he handed the jug to Colette, who shook her head. "No, I'm fine."

"Hey, you're sweating just as bad as any of us," Lloyd argued. "We don't know what we will find down here and you have to be ready."

Colette nodded as she took the jug. "Thank you, Lloyd."

"Is it just me, or isn't it getting hotter?" Genis asked.

Raine wiped some sweat from her forehead. "Yes, the temperature has been steadily increasing as we walked down these halls."

"There's a light ahead," Kratos said. At the end of the hall was a red light.

"What could that be?" Lloyd asked.

"We'll find out soon," Raine said as they continued to move forward.

Once they finally reached the end of the hall they came to an opening that branched into three directions. The heat was much worst in this area and felt like it was coming in waves. It was almost unbearable.

Lloyd wondered how Kratos could be okay. His clothes was actually made to take this kind of heat, but Kratos was wearing full armor. Yet, he was doing better than all of them.

"Which way?" Genis asked as he looked in both directions.

"All directions leads to monsters," Kratos stated.

"Well, that's helpful," Lloyd said sarcastically.

Kratos turned towards Colette. "As the Chosen, it's your choice."

"Mines?" Colette questioned as she thought about it. After a few minutes she turned towards Lloyd. "You can decide, Lloyd."

This took Lloyd off-guard. "Why me?"

"Well, you're good at directions," Colette said shyly.

Lloyd bit his lip as he looked down all the possible directions. He was afraid that the one wrong choice would lead them to their deaths. "Well...how about right?"

Kratos nodded. "Very well."

He then led them down the right hallway. The hall was fairly long, but not nearly as bad as the front passage. When they reached the end of the hall they found a doorway, along with a treasure chest that was tucked into one of the far corners.

"Hey, look at this!" Lloyd exclaimed as he ran towards the chest.

"Lloyd, be careful," Raine warned. "It could be a trap."

Lloyd turned to face his teacher. "But it could be something good too. We won't know unless we open it."

Genis frowned. "I don't know. There's something funny about that chest."

"It is strange that any kind of chest could have remained unopened after all this time," Raine said in deep thought.

Lloyd ignored their warnings and carefully lifted the lid opened. Strangely, it wasn't lock like he had expected. What he also didn't expect was the chest to suddenly closing on him, nearly taken off his hand.

"What the hell!?" Lloyd exclaimed.

"What's wrong, Lloyd?" Colette asked.

"The chest try to take my hand off!" Lloyd yelled.

Kratos suddenly reached for his sword. "Move away from it!"

At that moment the chest came to life and the opening of it suddenly grew several rows of sharp teeth.

"A Fake!" Raine yelled.

The Fake shot forward and attempted to bit Lloyd's head. Colette was able to knock it aside, causing it to slid across the floor. Kratos then released a wave of mana, knocking it further back. The attack hit dead on, but the chest got up like nothing had happened.

"Physical attacks don't work on a Fake," Raine warned. "We have to hold it back with magic."

"On it!" Genis yelled as he prepared a spell. Kratos quickly did the same.

The Fake lunged at the two casters, but Lloyd intercepted it by slammed his sword into it. His attack bounced off the hard metal shell and did little to no damage.

"Dammit," Lloyd cursed.

Colette threw several Pow Hammers at it, but the toy hammers harmlessly bounced off it. It did, however, distracted it long enough for both Kratos and Genis to finished their spells.

"Icicle!" Genis yelled as the ice entrapped the Fake. Kratos followed the spell with Stone Blast. The two hit it together, causing the chest to shake violently. After a few moments, however, it was fine and on the attack again.

The Fake floated towards Genis with amazing speed, but Kratos quickly cut off and was locked into battle with it.

"I thought you said it was weak against magic!" Lloyd yelled to Raine.

"No, I said we had to use magic," Raine said. "Fakes are strong against all elements of magic. They were used to guard important treasures from intruders."

Lloyd gave a low groan. "I wish you've told me that sooner."

The Fake passed Kratos' guard and was able to bit deeply into his arm.

"Mr. Kratos!" Colette yelled as she saw blood dripping from his arm. Colette threw her chakrams at the Fake to get the chest off of him. The attacked failed, however, it kept its gripped on Kratos.

"Lightning!" Genis yelled and struck the Fake directly. The chest seemed to screech as it pulled away from Kratos.

Kratos gave it a final farewell by performing a horizontal spin that left a spiraling trail of light behind him. "Light Spear!" he yelled as he finished the technique with a strong downward thrust into the floor. The attack was so strong that it left several cracks in its wake.

"Amazing," Lloyd muttered. It seemed that Kratos become even more unbelievably the more he see him fight.

Kratos was breathing hard as he grabbed his injured arm. It was bleeding pretty badly and it pulse with pain. He was lucky that his armor was thick or else that chest would had taking his entire arm. If only he could used his full strength, this fight would had been over.

"First Aid!" Raine yelled as Kratos felt his arm heal. It felt much better, but he could still feel the open wounds. Miss Sages wasn't strong enough yet to heal such injuries with just one healing spell.

The Fake slowly floated up again. It was badly dented and was slower than before, but more then able to still fight.

"What does it takes the kill this thing?" Lloyd asked in annoyance.

The Fake roared at them as it made it way back towards Kratos. Apparently, it wanted to finished the job it had started.

"Pow Hammer!" Colette yelled as she threw more toy hammers at it. The Fake looked more than annoyed by her antics and began to charged direction at her.

Kratos suddenly had an idea. "Use that attack again, Chosen!" He then began to chant another spell.

Colette didn't questioned it as she threw her toy hammers at the Fake again. The moment Colette made her attack Kratos cast a lightning spell.

When it merged with the hammer, a strong wave of lighting ran through the Fake, causing it to release a piecing screech.

Genis saw his chance to finished it and cast Wind Blade right into its open mouth. The blades of wind cut through the Fake and it finally fell for the last time. The Fake withered a little in its death screams, but it eventually went completely still.

There was several seconds of silence as the group approached the now still chest.

"Is it dead?" Lloyd asked cautiously.

Kratos stabbed his sword into the chest and saw that it didn't move. "It's dead." He then sheathed his sword.

"And good ridden too," Genis added as he wiped his forehead.

Colette saw something shining in the remains and she bent down to pick it up. "What's this?"

Raine's eyes widened in surprise. "That's an All-Divide!"

Lloyd looked at his teacher in confusion. "What's an All-Divide?"

"It's a special item made during the Kharlan War," Raine explained. "It was created to weaken particular powerful enemies and make them easier to kill."

"Sounds pretty handy," Lloyd stated.

Raine gently took the item from Colette and put it into her bag. "We might need this in the near future."

"After all the trouble we went through to kill this thing, it better come in handy," Genis said.

"We wasted enough time," Kratos said.

"Agreed," Raine stated as they once again moved forward.

They took the doorway into the next room and found the source of the light and the heat. The sudden increase in light also hurt their eyes.

"The...the entire room is filled with lava!" Genis said in awe.

"That would explain why it is so much hotter down here," Raine stated. "I know the lack of ventilation couldn't be the only reason."

"I wonder if the dwarven kingdom is like this?" Lloyd asked mostly to himself. Dad did tell him that the dwarves lived in a very hot environment surrounded by fire.

"It's possible," Kratos answered.

Genis looked around the maze of stone and pillars, but saw no open passage. "Looks like we went the wrong way. I don't see anywhere we can go."

Raine frowned. "There must be something we're missing here." She then saw something that caught her eye on the wall. "There's a torch on the wall." She slowly walked up to it.

"Raine, this entire place is filled with torches," Genis pointed out dryly.

"Maybe so, but these aren't lit," Raine noted.

"Well, there's no need for extra light in this room," Lloyd said as he glanced down at the lava.

Raine put her hand on her chin. "Perhaps, but why put torches in a room that doesn't need it. Maybe the puzzle in this room is to light the torches."

"Sounds too simple," Genis said.

"We won't know until we try," Raine said.

"Looks like we have to go back to the hall and get a torch," Kratos stated.

Colette turned towards Lloyd. "Lloyd, don't you still have the Sorcerer's Ring from the temple?"

Lloyd looked at the ring on his finger. "I keep forgetting that I have this. But yeah, this thing can shot fire. So, maybe we can use it to light the torches."

"The Sorcerer's Ring?" Raine said in surprise. "You mean the ring that was buried within the temple that no Chosen could touch? How did Lloyd get it?"

Genis shook his head. "I still don't know. Lloyd just picked it up like it was just a piece of jewelry."

Raine put her hand on her chin. "Interesting."

Kratos took a quick glanced at the ring. He too had forgotten that Lloyd was able to take the ring. Rather he like it or not that had to mean that the planet had chosen Lloyd. It wasn't too surprising since the Sorcerer's Ring measured a person's potential, which Lloyd had a lot of given his usual birth.

His mind suddenly went back to the words of Origin. He said if one chosen by the Sorcerer's Ring awaken their innate potential, they could literally change the course of history. Both Mithos and Zilveren were chosen and they certainly did change the course of the world. Too bad it wasn't for the best.

"Wow, the floor move!" Lloyd's voice snapped Kratos out of his musings.

Raine looked very impress. "Just as I expected. We should light any empty torches we come across."

They went through several mazes of moving floors and finding the right torches to light. They even had to go back to the main hallway in ordered to get to a different section of the same room. The heat really started to get to them and they went through several jugs of water to eased their thirst.

"Hot, hot, hot!" Lloyd said as he attempted to fan himself. "When are we going to finally be out of this temple?"

"Normally I would get on Lloyd about this, but I have to agree," Genis said in exhausting. "It's like an oven in this place."

"It could be part of the trial to test the Chosen's endurance," Raine said.

"The Church did say that fire is both endurance and strength," Colette said.

"I wonder if the other trial would be organize the same way?" Raine asked.

Kratos was suddenly on guard. "Something coming!"

From the shadows, several strange humanoid figures came at them. Their bodies were red and they had golden pieces of armor on them. They also had long swords that looked to be in the shape of a flame.

"Fire Warriors," Raine said.

They charged them and Kratos quickly had to quickly parry one of them. Lloyd was also force to hold one off. Its body's was so hot that Lloyd could feel the heat pouring off of him.

Kratos attempted to break the defense of his opponent, but it was able to hold its own against the skill swordsman. He couldn't take this thing too lightly. He saw from the corner of his eye that two more was heading right for them. This was bad.

"Icicle!" Genis yelled as the Fire Warrior fighting Lloyd screamed in pain.

"Tiger Blade!" Lloyd yelled when its defense was broken. The creature slammed into the floor and it glared at him with a vengeance. Lloyd quickly finished the monster by thrusting down right into its eye.

Colette was forced to fight in close combat with her Fire Warrior who was able to bypassed Kratos. She held her chakrams in each hand was able to dodged and parried the monster's attacks. She, however, was quickly becoming overwhelm. Raine kept her going by healing all her injures after she was hit.

Kratos finally managed to kill one of his Fire Warriors by performing a Super Sonic Thrust. It was so powerful that even the second Fire Warrior, who was behind its partner, felt it. Kratos quickly finished him off by tearing it a part with a Double Demon Fang.

Lloyd, meanwhile, came to Colette's rescue and stabbed her Fire Warrior in the back. It gave a screech of pain as Colette finished it by cutting its throat.

"Sorry," Colette said as it fell lifelessly to the floor. Colette put her weapons up and gave a short pray to the fallen monsters.

"We can't stay here," Kratos warned. "More will be here."

Just as he said that, a flaming bird suddenly hit Kratos from behind.

"Whoa, what's that!" Lloyd cried as he dodged the bird.

"Fire Bird!" Raine yelled.

"I need an orange gel," Genis huffed. He had no mana left to give for a spell.

Raine closed her eyes and chanted. "Charge!"

Genis felt immediately rejuvenated as mana rushed through his body. "Thanks, Raine." He then chanted another spell and sent a blade of water at the bird. The water slowed it down, but it was still able to shoot several fireballs at the group.

Colette in turn was able to strike it with her chakrams, but she wasn't causing enough damage.

Lloyd attempted to hit it with his Demon Fang, but it was too low to hit the monster. "Dang, I need to get higher."

An idea came to mind and he began concentrated his power from his exsphere. It glowed for a second as Lloyd jumped into the air. "Tempest!" he yelled as he cut the Fire Bird several times with his swords.

The bird screeched as it plummeted to the floor. Kratos was there to get his revenge on the bird for the cheep shot earlier by cutting it in half as it fell down.

"Man, the monsters around here are ruthless," Genis noted.

"I feel dizzy," Lloyd said as he attempted not to spill his lunch.

"That move is both careless and crazy," Kratos said.

"Maybe, but it got the job done," Lloyd said smugly, once he regained himself.

Kratos sighed in defeat as they moved again before anymore monster could ambushed them.

They were still attacked, however, several times by both Fire Warriors and Fire Birds. Between the constant fighting and the heat, they were all becoming severely weaken. Only Kratos managed to keep the same level of strength and began to take on more responsibilities as the group slugged their way through the temple. It didn't help that they still needed to solve the puzzles.

After what felt like an eternity to the group, they finally reached a glowing platform.

"Hey, that looks like that thing from the temple," Lloyd said.

"That 'thing' is called a warp, Lloyd," Raine scowled. "This must take us to the main altar."

"We can only hope," Genis said as they stepped through the platform.

They were now standing in a large room with several pillars and a large altar that was very much like the one back in Iselia. The heat was also more bearable.

Raine looked around in awe as the group passed her. "This place is also built with magitechnology! Absolutely fantastic!"

They all stopped short of the altar.

"So, what now?" Lloyd asked. "Does that angel returns?"

Colette shook her head. "No, before I can break the seal, I have to pass one more test."

"Not another test," Lloyd moaned. "What is it this time?"

"To defeat the guardian," Colette answered.

Lloyd's eyes widened in surprise. "Guardian?"

At that very moment the altar began to light up.

"What the...?" Genis shouted in shock as waves of mana assaulted his senses.

Kratos reached for his sword, waiting to see what creature Mithos had created for this trial.

A huge pillar of fire erupted from the altar and the silhouette of the creature appeared. A loud roar suddenly echoed across the room as a large catlike creature came charging towards them. Its entire body was red with black stripes, and it was covered in flames. It had a silver spiky mohawk on its head and two sable tooth fangs. Its eyes was a burning crimson and it was ready for blood.

"A Ktugach," Raine grasped. "I thought they only existed in ancient myth."

"Well, it looks very real to me," Genis said as he prepared a spell.

The Ktugach wasn't going to give him that chance and ran over to him. Genis couldn't finished his chant in time before the creature hit him and sent him flying across the room.

"Genis!" Raine screamed in horror as Genis hit the floor and didn't move from where he laid. She quickly ran over to check on her baby brother.

"You'll pay for that!" Lloyd yelled as he hit the Ktugach with several fast thrusts to its lower paw.

That just annoyed the creature and he swiped Lloyd across his chest. He barely had time to move as the claws just missed him. However, flames shot off from the attack and Lloyd's jacket caught on fire.

He quickly dropped and roll to put out the flames. It worked and Lloyd gave a sigh in relief. His jacket wasn't even harm in the blaze. Dad was right when he said that this material was fire proof.

Colette hit the Ktugach several times with both her chakrams and her Pow Hammer. The monster roared in anger and attempted to gut Colette, but she was able to perform her Damage Guard before it reached her and deflected the attack.

Kratos moved in and hit the creature hard with a wave of mana that actually pushed it into a nearby wall. It left a nice size dent in it, but the Ktugach didn't seemed overly hurt. If anything, it just seemed even madder.

Kratos had to keep himself from laughter. It seemed Mithos made these Guardians more powerful than usual just for him. He supposed Mithos couldn't make things too easy.

The Ktugach charged Kratos and an Eruption went off under his feet. While Kratos was distracted, the Ktugach swiped in and knocked him to the floor. Before it could do anymore damage, however, it was hit by an Icicle.

"Forgot about me, didn't you?" Genis mocked.

Before the Ktugach could recovery, Lloyd charged it and hit it with a Tempest. The monster screamed in pain, but it seemed to just get more powerful as it cast another Eruption. This time the runes were so big that it covered most of the battlefield.

"Move!" Kratos screamed, but it was already too late.

The giant Eruption went off and Kratos quickly covered himself with Guardian. It barely held as the barrier shook from the sheer power of the attack. Once it was finished he dropped the spell. He looked around in relief to see that both Raine and Genis' Force Fields had hold. Colette's was able to hang on too, but she looked very tire from the ordeal.

Lloyd wasn't so lucky as burnt marks could be clearly seen on his face. He would had been more damage if it wasn't for the clothes he was wearing.

"Hang on, First Aid!" Raine yelled as Lloyd injuries were healed.

The Ktugach attempted to take advantage of their weakened state and went after Colette. Genis was ready for it and hit it with a jet of water. Colette then attacked it with her chakrams, cutting him deeply in several place.

Kratos moved in to finished the beast by performing a Light Spear. The Ktugach sensed him at the last second and deflected him with his tail. Kratos landed gracefully but was annoyed by his lack of success.

"Kratos, why don't we do something like you did against that treasure chest?" Lloyd asked as he ran up to the older man.

"What?" Kratos asked.

"When you merged your attack with Colette," Lloyd stated.

It took Kratos a moment to figure out what he was talking about. "You mean a union attack."

"Whatever, we can use that to take this thing down," Lloyd said.

"We could..." Kratos muttered.

"It's our best bet," Raine said, hearing their conversation. "I'll help too."

Kratos nodded. "Very well, follow my lead."

He ran toward the Ktugach with Lloyd shortly behind him. Raine ready her own spell as Colette continued to hold off the Ktugach with Genis help.

"Sharpen!" Raine yelled as both Lloyd and Kratos' weapons began to glow.

"Move!" Kratos warned Colette and Genis. Colette saw them coming and quickly gave them room. Kratos built the mana into his blade as he got closer to the monster.

Lloyd followed his lead, seeing what he was doing. The Ktugach turned to face them and gave a loud roar as it prepared another Eruption.

Before he could do it, however, both Kratos and Lloyd hit with a Sonic Trust at the same time. They did it in a cross formation, leaving a giant 'X' in the middle of the Ktugach's chest. The Ktugach gave a cry of pain as flame like blood dripped from its wound. It, however, completed its Eruption with Kratos and Lloyd were in the middle of it.

Knowing Lloyd couldn't performed Guardian correctly yet, Kratos covered the boy in his arms and protected them both with his own barrier.

"Icicle!" Genis screamed as ice exploded around the monster.

Colette followed it by throwing her chakrams into the beast's month. The Ktugach began to chocked as it attempted to dislodged the weapon.

Kratos saw his chance and jumped into the air. He pointed his sword into a downward thrust. "Super Sonic Thrust!" he scream as he buried his sword deep into the Ktugach's spine.

The Ktugach gave one last roar as its body dissipated in a flash of flames. Soon, only embers were left of the once great beast.

Kratos jumped down and land smoothly on the floor. He then casually put his sword away.

"Amazing, Mr. Kratos," Colette cheered.

Lloyd shook his head. "Man, is there anything you can't do?"

Kratos didn't have to answer as the voice of Remiel filled the room. "You, the Chosen of Regeneration. Offer your prayers at the altar."

Colette snapped to attention as she looked towards the altar. "...Yes, my lord." She then walked towards the altar and knelt down in pray. "Oh Goddess Martel, valde patronus quod nurturer of orbis terrarum, tribuo mihi thy vires!"

The glow steadily brightened after a few seconds had passed. Then, the light broke apart and a golden aura appeared from the ceiling. Soon, Remiel floated down in a sparkle of light.

"Colette, my dear daughter, you have done well," Remiel said in a gentle voice.

Colette bowed her head humbly. "Thank you...fa..ther."

"The guardian of the seal has fallen and the first seal has been released. Efreet will surely awaken soon," Remiel stated. "In the name of Cruxis, I shall grant you the power of the angels."

"Thank you, my lord," Colette said in a slightly shaken voice.

A beam of light came towards Colette and her Cruxis Crystal began to glow. Colette's body jolted back as the rush of mana streamed through her. It almost felt like fire in her chest and the heat gradually began to move to her backside. Colette had to suppressed a scream as mana suddenly erupted from her back. She barely heard her friends grasp in both shock and surprise as she attempted to recover from the pain.

Two pink wings with purple highlights were now flowing out of her back. They sparkled like stardust and were nothing like Remiel's wings. Lloyd looked at Colette, unable to even form words. Something told him he should remember something like this. Like, this was the way a real angel was suppose to look.

Colette began to flap her wings and she effortlessly floated into the air. It was just like all the legends and the stories the Church tried to tell Lloyd. He began to wonder if maybe he was wrong about the Church and the Chosen's quest, but something still seemed off.

He glanced at Kratos who looked surprisingly unimpressed. It was just like the temple. Did anything fazed this man?

Kratos for his part, had to keep himself from cringing at Remiel. Kratos could see the flicker of envy on Remiel's face as he looked at Colette's wings. He knew the cause since the mana made wings were a symbol of high rank within Cruxis. Only the Seraphim had those wings and Remiel obviously wanted them too. His greed was going to give him away.

"The angel transformation will not be without pain," Remiel said in a tightly controlled voice. It was both to hide his envy and his delight that the Chosen was going to suffer to have those wings. "Yet, it is but for one night. Be strong and endure."

"I humbly accept this trial," Colette answered without a hint of fear.

"The next seal lies far to the east, across the sea. Offer your prayers at that altar," Remiel stated.

Colette. "Yes, my lord."

Remiel once again vanished in a wave of light and feathers. "I shall await you at the next seal, the Chosen of Regeneration, my beloved daughter, Colette."

Colette descended towards the floor and everything was silent for a moment.

"Colette...has wings," Lloyd stated rather dimly. He still couldn't get over what he was seeing.

Colette turned to look at him and smiled. "Uh-huh, and look, I can put them away, too." Without even concentrating, her two wings disappeared from sight, shocking everyone even more.

"Oh wow, that's so cool!" Genis exclaimed.

Colette's smile grew wider. "Here, look, look!" She made her wings reappear and flapped them quickly. Genis jumped in delight. It was like the entire fight never happened.

Lloyd tore his eyes away from the scene and looked at the two adults. As much as he enjoyed Colette's wings, there was something else that Remiel said that had gotten his attention. "He said the next place is across the sea! That means we get to sail on a ship!"

Lloyd had to keep himself from joining Genis jumping up and down. He never once been to the sea. He always wanted to go. He even dreamed of building a boat one day and sailing across the world just to see everything. "I can't wait!"

Raine, on the other hand, looked like she was going to be physically sick. "A ship..." She quickly put herself together. "I wonder if there are any ships sailing with the way things are right now."

"We should head to the coast to see what we can find," Kratos stated.

Lloyd turned to look at Colette and Genis, who were still playing. "Okay you two, we get it already. That's enough."

Genis and Colette stopped their play and nodded.

Kratos knew that the Chosen was not going to be well soon, so it was best to hurry out of the temple. If he could help it, he wasn't going to carry her out and risk leaving the group opened to an attack.

Without anymore discussing they all made their way to the warp.

* * *

**The first seal is done. Hard to believe that it took twelve chapters just to get to this point. The battle scenes were also kind of hard to write given the limited move selection that the characters have at this point, especially Colette and Raine. Also, the battle with the Fake was not just filler. You just have to take my word for it for the time being.**

**Kf2104, thanks once again for your continue support. Although I put it in the chapter, I most likely did not explain it well. Lloyd has trouble with Guardian because he has trouble maintaining a steady amount of mana of a period of time. Lloyd can use mana well in short bursts, like for his Demon Fang, but not well enough to use a shield. Although, Lloyd will get better given time.**

**Kiomori, thank you too for your continue support and feedback. I also thought that random bit of humor is something that Lloyd would do. Also, it is easy to make fun of Kratos given how stiff he can be. I decided to add that bit about how the different shields work because within the game some characters have different names for their shields for whatever reason.**

**With that said, until next time and have a good Labor Day for those who live in the US.**


	13. Ossa Trail

**This is a little later than I wanted to post today, but was giving me a lot of problems. It kept crashing both of my web browsers when I tried to load a document. I finally had to try the copy&paste option. Thankfully, that worked.**

**Anyway, thanks again for all of your support. Now, onward to the chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Ossa Trail**

* * *

The trip out of the Fire Temple was almost peaceful. With the puzzles solved they were able to reached the entrance with only a few encounters from monsters. By some luck, they were able to avoid the more powerful beasts such as the Fire Warriors.

The dry breeze outside never felt so good as Lloyd climbed out of the temple's entrance. It was a welcome change from the pure heat that they were forced to endure. He actually began to fill a little chill since the sun had already gone down along with the temperature.

Colette was the next one out of the temple when she suddenly collapsed.

Lloyd grasped in horror as he ran towards her side. "Colette, are you alright!?"

Colette sat up a little and gave Lloyd a weak smile. "I'm fine."

Genis, who saw the whole thing as he was climbing out, also rushed to his friend's side. "You don't look fine at all! Your face is completely white!" He shook his head as guilt filled his eyes. "It's all my fault. I got carried away and kept making her pull her wings in and out."

Lloyd doubted that was the real reason for Colette's sickness, but he wasn't sure what to say to the young mage.

"Now's not the time for that," Raine said firmly as she pushed Genis away from Colette and she began to examined her. She put her hand on her forehead and knew she had a slight fever. Raine could also see sweat beginning to form on Colette's forehead. However, that wasn't the thing that caused her the most concern. "Her lips are turning purple. We must get her to a doctor in the city immediately."

"It is best not to move her," Kratos advised as he joined the group.

Lloyd glared at the older man not only for the cold suggesting, but also for being so emotionally distance. Colette was sick and he didn't seem to care.

Kratos noticed Lloyd's glare and answered the unasked question. "Remember the angel's words. The angel transformation process requires her to overcome a trial."

"So, you believe that this is part of her test?" Raine asked.

Kratos nodded. "Rather than taking her to a doctor, it would be best to let her rest here." Beside, there was little a doctor could do for her, he added to himself.

Colette sat up as she looked towards everyone. "I'm okay. I'll be fine after a little rest." She then looked down in shame. "I'm sorry to cause so much trouble."

Lloyd put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Stop apologizing all the time, you dork. It's not as if you can help it."

Colette sighed, but refused to look at Lloyd. "You're right, I'm sorry."

Lloyd gave a sigh of frustration. He didn't know why he bothered. He could hear Genis attempting to hide his giggles, easing some of the tension.

Kratos pulled away from the group and began to set up camp. Raine made sure to spray the area with repellence to keep the weaker monsters away. Genis and Lloyd went out to get timber brush to use to make a fire and when they returned, the campsite was ready.

Luckily for them, Genis was cooking tonight. Although Kratos was an okay cook, he tended to make very simple meals that didn't fill anyone.

Nonetheless, by Genis' standards, the meal wasn't much. It was a simple dish of tofu curry, however, Lloyd enjoyed it since it did managed fill him.

He couldn't fully enjoy it, however, since Colette was too ill to eat anything. Raine made sure she drank a lot of water, but that was it. Even if they smashed her food, he doubted Colette would be able to hold it down.

Lloyd pulled his thoughts away from Colette and stared at Kratos, who was sitting right across from him. They stared awkwardly at each other for several minutes. For once, Lloyd couldn't think of a thing to say to the mercenary. This man was unlike anyone he had ever met. A part of him was greatly jealous of Kratos' power, but another part of him couldn't help but to admire him.

"Your exsphere has an unusual color," Kratos suddenly said as he looked at his crystal.

Lloyd reactively pulled his left hand up to look at his exsphere. He rubbed it gently in his gloved hand. "It does seem to be a little different from yours and the others." It was only now that he noticed that all the exspheres that he had seen were a tinted red. He then remembered Dirk's words about exspheres. "By the way, why do you have an exsphere?"

"I took one from a Desian," Kratos answered neutrally. He then gave Lloyd a hard look. "I heard that the Desians force the humans at the Ranch to make them." It was partly true.

Lloyd flinched when he heard those words. "So, that's why Marble had an exsphere too..."

So, he didn't know how exspheres were made. It was not surprising considering that most people didn't even know what exspheres were. He hoped that Lloyd would never find out the price that was paid to create the exspheres at the Ranch, especially the one he now wore on his hand.

"Is it alright if I ask you something as well?" Kratos suddenly asked.

This got Lloyd's attention. "Sure."

"Why were you raised by a dwarf?" Kratos asked.

Lloyd lowered his eyes. "Dad found me collapsed in the forest along with Mom and Noishe." He began to tightened his grip as the all the too familiar feeling of rage and hatred filled his heart. "Although what really happened was that we were attacked by Desians."

Kratos had to keep himself from frowning. If Lloyd didn't learn to let go of his bitterness, it would one day led him down a dark and dangerous path. At the same time, he couldn't blame Lloyd for his hate. "So, the Desians are responsible for the deaths of your parents. Your life has been completely torn apart by them."

"Huh!?" Lloyd exclaimed, completely taken off-guard by the statement.

"Your mother was killed and then you were chase out of your village," Kratos observed. Lloyd was more than justify for hating the Desians. He was equally responsible as well since he helped to create them and supported them as their took other lives.

Lloyd wasn't sure what to say towards Kratos statement. It was all true. The worst being that he was powerless to stop any of it.

Kratos seemed to read Lloyd's thoughts. "…People are…hopelessly, powerless."

"Yes, they are, but you can't blame others for that weakness," Lloyd said as he looked up, his eyes burning with determination. "That's why I'm going to grow stronger. I'm going to become powerful and defeat the Desians."

"...I see," Kratos whispered. If only it was that easy. "Then, no matter what awaits ahead, you must not forget that determination." He wondered, however, if it was really a good idea to give Lloyd false hope.

Lloyd paused for a moment in thought. "Why am I talking to you about this, anyway?" He didn't know why, but he always seemed to bear his soul in front of Kratos. He barely knew the guy.

Kratos said nothing more as he took Lloyd's dish, effectually ending the conversation.

Lloyd stood up and began to walk towards Genis, who was talking to his sister. He quickly looked up when he heard Lloyd approaching.

"Hey, how was the tofu curry?" Genis asked.

Leave it to Genis to talk about food. For a kid, he took cooking a little too seriously at times. "It was missing something," he answered honestly. Then again, he maybe missed the taste of metal from his dad's cooking.

Genis, however, looked very surprise by the answer. "Wow, you noticed."

Lloyd glared down at his friend. "What's that suppose to mean?"

Instead of his usual teasing, Genis actually looked ashamed. "Sorry. I mean, I didn't expect to hear you say that."

"That's the same thing!" Lloyd muttered.

"I didn't have all the ingredients," Genis said in annoyance. "It would have been perfect if I had some Kirima fruit."

Lloyd gave a small chuckle. "It was still good regardless."

Raine turned to look at Lloyd. "If you want, you could try my cooking next time."

Genis franticly shook his head. "If you want to live, you'd better not." Raine glared at Genis who ran behind Lloyd for protection. "But it's true..."

Lloyd looked between his teacher and friend for a moment. The Professor's cooking couldn't be that bad, could it? After some of the stuff he ate under Dirk, he was certain he had a steel stomach.

Raine dropped her anger towards Genis and glanced at Colette, who was still sitting next to the fire. She gave a relieved sigh when she saw that Colette's color had slowly returned. With luck, she would be back to old herself by morning. "It seems Colette's felling better now."

Lloyd became somber at the mention of Colette. "Yeah, it looks like becoming an angel is pretty rough." They didn't say anything at the Church about becoming an angel being so painful. Why would the Goddess Martel be so cruel to inflict such pain on anyone, let alone her most fateful follower?

"I wonder if her biological structure is changing," Raine remarked offhandedly.

"Bio-what?" Lloyd asked.

Genis shook his head. "I swear, Lloyd."

"In other words, I wonder if she's becoming a different kind of life form," Raine explained.

Genis frowned. "Aren't angels classify as a different species?"

Raine nodded. "By the Church's standards, yes. However, we don't actually know the physical differences between us and the angles. Since Remiel is her father, that means he was capable of mating with Colette's human mother. That means there was enough similarities biologically to allow them to create a child. Much like a human and an elf."

"I never thought of it that way," Genis said in awe.

"I wonder if Colette would be kind enough to allow me to test her," Raine wondered out loud.

Lloyd narrowed his eyes in annoyance. He didn't care for how the Professor was referring to Colette like some science project. "Colette is Colette."

Raine's eyes widened as the full impact of that simple statement hit her. She felt ashamed for thinking about Colette in such a callous way, especially with what she was going to be given up for their salvation.

"Yes, you're right. You always point out the truth," Raine stated. It always amazed her that Lloyd seemed so wise about the human heart even though he didn't believed in Martel.

Lloyd began to blush slightly. "Ah, well..."

Genis rolled his eyes. "It's because he lives only by instinct."

Lloyd gave Genis a harsh glare, but it only made the younger boy even more smug. He finally gave up and went to check on Colette. She did look much better and her lips were no longer blue. Which was a big relief.

Nonetheless, she still had a somewhat sad look on her face. Lloyd frowned as he put his hands in his pocket, trying to think of something that would cheer Colette up. His fingers felt something hard at the bottom of one his pockets and he suddenly remembered Colette's birthday gift.

So, much had happened that he had completely forgotten about it. If anything would put a smile on Colette's face, this would be it. Lloyd smirked to himself as he walked besides her.

She immediately snapped out of her stupor when she saw Lloyd approaching her. She could tell by his confident walk that had something on his mind.

Lloyd gave her a wide smile once he reached her. "I know it's a little late, but here's your birthday present." He then reached his hand out to give Colette her necklace.

As expected, her eyes widened and moist at the gesture. She carefully took the necklace and gently rubbed the pendent. Her smile, however, fell when she looked at the chain.

"Oh, no. It's broken," Colette said sadly.

That was the last thing Lloyd was expecting to hear. He carefully took the necklace back from Colette and gave it a quick once over. The chain that held the pendent had broken in half.

"I wonder when it broke?" Lloyd wondered out loud. Although he suspected that all the fights he had been doing lately had something to do with it. His dad always said he had to be more careful with his things. "I'm sorry, I'll make you a new one."

Colette gave him a warm smile. "Thanks…and…I'm sorry that I keep causing trouble for you." She then looked back down.

"Don't worry about it," Lloyd said gently, not wanting her to blame herself anymore over things she couldn't control. "By the way, you haven't been eating at all. Are you still feeling sick?" She didn't even want the light soup that Genis had offered to fix for her.

Colette lifted her had and shook it. " No, I'm fine. I just don't seem to have much of an appetite."

Lloyd frowned. "You won't be able to keep up your strength if you don't eat."

"I know," Colette said before she began to cough lightly.

As soft as they were, they got everyone's attention, including Kratos. For a spilt second, Lloyd could see the look of pity in Kratos' eyes.

"Lloyd, don't push her," Raine scowled as she walked towards her students.

Genis followed shortly behind her. "Colette is delicate, unlike you." The remark itself was not so much an insult, but it was clear from Genis' tone that it was fully meant to be one.

"Shut it!" Lloyd snapped before recomposed himself. He then turned back towards Colette. "I'm sorry, Colette."

"No, no, I'm okay," Colette assured as she touched Lloyd's hand. "I'm really sorry for worrying you."

Lloyd knew it was pointless to tell her to stop apologizing.

"I'm going to go for a little walk," Colette suddenly said as she stood up.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Lloyd asked.

"Thanks, but I'll be fine by myself," Colette said, which took everyone off guard, saved for Kratos. Anyone who knew Colette knew that she never turned down an offer from Lloyd.

Lloyd was so taken back that he was actually slack jaw.

Raine gave Colette a sympathetic look as she walked off some distance from the camp. She was still, however, within the barrier of the repellence so there was no need to worry about a monster attacking her. She could also see that Kratos was keeping a close eye on her.

Genis suddenly began to giggle. "Ha ha, you got rejected."

Raine had to keep herself from laughing out loud over the childish outburst. Leave it to Genis to be able to cut the atmosphere.

Lloyd, however, was not amused. "Shut up, Genis!"

Kratos ignored the bickering as he opened his senses towards Colette. He could hear her still softly coughing in the wind.

"What's happening to me?" Colette whispered brokenly.

Kratos could hear and feel the fear in her voice. This was the first time he had seen the Chosen so unbalance. Although she had been prepared for this task all her life, the reality of her situation was fully dawning on her. She was going to die and it would not be a painless death. It would be long, drawn out process that would continue until nothing remained of her being. To make it worst, she would be fully aware as she felt herself slip away a piece at a time. The final nail in how twisted this system was that she would do it all to herself willingly. All for the sake to 'save' the world.

He hated himself for leading this child to her death and watching her lose herself to her cursed crystal. However, this was his task. A task he took willingly year ago. For better and for worst, he had to see this till the end.

The question was, how was Lloyd going to take all of this? Would he be able to handle what was going to become of the Chosen? Given how attached he was to her, he doubted it. He may even attack Remiel when the final moments come, which would force his hand.

There was little point, however, worrying about that right now. They had a lot more of this journey to cover before they cross that bridge.

The night grew still as the group slowly settle down for the night. The Chosen better enjoyed her peaceful dreams while she could still had them.

* * *

Daylight came too early for Lloyd, but he still was still forced to get up. He thought he would be able to sleep longer since they had such a long day in that temple, but Kratos didn't know the meaning of mercy. Thankfully, they were finally leaving the desert. He was so tire of seeing sand and spending hours washing in order not to smell like Noishe.

Speaking of which, Noishe was there to greet them as they again made their way through the desert. He briefly wondered where Noishe slept yesterday, but knew he wouldn't get an answer since Noishe didn't talk, or least talk in a language he understood.

"Professor, where are we going next?" Lloyd asked after they had been walking for nearly two hours. "All we know that we're supposed to cross the sea."

Raine nodded. "We should head for Palmacosta. I don't think we're going to find anymore clues on this continent."

Genis' eyes widened in excitement. "It's the biggest city in the world and The Church of Martel Cathedral is there."

"The Church of Martel Cathedral?" Lloyd questioned.

"It is the main Church of the Goddess Martel," Colette explained as she turned towards Raine. "We must visit a service while we're there."

"I see what we can do," Raine said.

Lloyd sighed. He was not looking forward to any church service.

"The Palmacosta Academy is also there," Genis said.

"If we're going to Palmacosta, we'll have to pass through the Ossa Trail," Kratos stated.

"What's the Ossa Trail?" Lloyd asked.

"It is a road that takes you towards the fishing men town, Izoold," Kratos stated. "It's not a treacherous trail, but it's best that we don't lower our guard."

"How long will it take for us to reach it?" Lloyd asked further.

Kratos looked at the position of the sun. "We should reach the Ossa Trail by the late afternoon. Once we cross it, it should only take a little over a day to reach Izoold."

"As long as we're out of this desert, it all sounds good to me," Lloyd said.

It took another couple of hours, but Lloyd finally got his wish. Slowly, the desert's sand yielded to green grass and the temperature steadily dropped. Soon, they were once again in an open grassy field, much to everyone's delight. They actually found the weather kind of cool since they had gotten so used to the desert's heat.

"We should break for lunch," Kratos advised. No one raised a complaint.

"Hey, what's that over there?" Genis asked. They all stopped to see a caravan up ahead.

"Most likely people on a pilgrimage," Kratos stated neutrally. He, however, knew exactly who it was and he did not want to greet them. Nova would no doubt recognized him and reveal details of his past that he didn't want the others to hear.

"Why don't we go greet them?" Lloyd suggested.

"Do as you wish," Kratos said. "I will remain here and get lunch prepared."

Noishe began to whine softly.

Kratos said nothing, but gave the dog a firm look.

Noishe whimpered, but sat down.

Raine gave Kratos an odd look. "Very well. We shouldn't be gone long."

Lloyd led the group towards the caravan and they could see several people gathered around the wagon. One of the older women spotted them and walked over to confront them.

"Who are you?" she questioned.

The only male of the group also walked over towards them. "Oh my, we don't get visitors very often. May I help you?"

Lloyd stopped in his tracks. "Ah no, we were just passing by." He then recomposed himself. "Are you in the middle of a pilgrimage?"

The man shook his head. "We are traveling while studying the animals of the world. My name is Nova and I'm a zoologist." He then towards the woman. "This is my oldest daughter, Alduin, my middle child, Sarah, and the one over there is my baby girl, May."

May gave them a short wave. She looked to be no older than six years old.

Sarah gave a slight nod and she looked to be a year or two younger than Alduin.

Lloyd gave them all a funny look. "Really, that's a weird thing to do in these dangerous times..." Before he could finish his sentence Raine slapped him hard upside his head. Everyone, except Colette and Genis, flinched.

"Traveling the world in pursuit of knowledge, that's wonderful," Raine said with deep admiration.

Nova was more then a little unnerve by her sudden change in Raine's mood, but he did his best to hide his discomfort. "I just like seeing all sorts of rare animals," he laughed nervously.

"It must be amazing to see so many types of animals," Colette said in wonderment.

Genis nodded in agreement.

"We even saw a giant glowing bird!" May suddenly exclaimed.

"Glowing bird?" Lloyd asked as he rubbed the bump that was forming on his head.

Raine put her hand on her chin in thought. "…That may have been Aska, the Summon Spirit of Light."

"Aska?" Lloyd repeated in surprise. He knew all about that summon spirit from the old stories his dad used to tell him.

Nova was equally surprise. "Really, that bird is a summon spirit?" He then paused in thought. "I see, that would explain why it's a species I've never seen before."

"Can you tell us about the time you saw it?" Lloyd asked, barely containing his excitement.

Raine shook her head. Stories of the summon spirits were one of the few subjects that Lloyd listened to.

"The information might come in handy," Genis added before he began to blush. "Besides, I want to hear the story too."

"I think it would be better to ask my children," Nova stated. "I actually didn't get a good look at the bird."

Lloyd turned to face Alduin. She gave him a hard look for a moment before she finally spoke. "It was on the Ossa Trail. We were camping out near the peak and that glowing bird appeared."

"The Ossa Trail," Lloyd muttered. As Alduin talked, Raine carefully took note of everything she was saying and wrote it into her journal.

"The wind was also strong that day," Alduin continued. "A tree nearby played a mysterious melody as its nuts shook in the wind." She gave a small smile at the memory. "It was like a beautiful song."

"Tree nuts playing a mysterious melody?" Lloyd repeated in disbelief. "What the heck is that?"

Genis rolled his eyes at Lloyd's ignorance, but stopped short of insulting him when he saw the look on Raine's face.

"That's probably the Linkite," Raine stated. "It is a tree that is said to grow in high places. Supposedly when the nuts shake in the wind, they make a beautiful sound, like bells."

Lloyd's eyes widened in wonderment. "I didn't know there was a tree like that. But doesn't that mean we can meet Aska if we just go to the Ossa Trail?"

Alduin shook her head. There was hint of sadness on her face. "No, the tree isn't there anymore. Either someone cut it down and took it away or it was carried away in a landslide."

"That's so sad," Colette mourned.

"We've traveled all over the world, but we've yet to see that tree again," Alduin stated.

Raine frowned. "The Linkite Tree is thought to be extinct from over-harvesting and natural disasters."

"I picked nuts from the tree," May suddenly interrupted. "It makes a pretty sound." She held out a small bag and began to shake it. It sounded like she had a sack full of silver bells.

Lloyd leaned down so he was eye to eye with the small child. "Could I see one?"

May nodded as she reached into her bag and pull out a rather plain looking nut. It looked like a slightly smaller walnut.

"So this is a Linkite Nut," Colette said as she leaned down to get a closer look at it.

Lloyd began to gently shake it and it made a low tingling sound. He couldn't help but to smile. "It really does make a pretty sound."

"You can keep that one," May said with a huge smile.

"Thank you very much," Lloyd said as he stood back up. He then walked towards Sarah. "If you know anything about the glowing bird, we would like you to tell us."

Sarah titled her head in thought. "I imagine that bird can only be found among steep, impregnable mountains. Ones you could never reach by foot."

"Why do you think that?" Lloyd asked.

"Because we've been everywhere that one can walk to," Sarah explained. "If you could find it in one of those places, I think we would already have encountered it."

"I see," Lloyd muttered.

"If that is everything, we should be heading back towards camp," Raine advised.

Lloyd nodded. "Thank you for everything."

"No problem," Nova said with a huge smile. "Come back anything."

May began to jump up and down. "It was nice meeting you!"

They all gave their goodbyes and began the short trip back towards the camp.

Raine quickly scanned through her notes. "I'll sum up the situation in which they encountered the glowing bird. First, they encountered it on the Ossa Trail. This indicates that the glowing bird only appears in high places. Next, a Linkite Tree made a beautiful sound, as if the nuts were producing a melody. Finally, on that day there was a strong wind, and the sound of the Linkite Nuts was carried a long distance by the wind. I think that about sums it up."

"They said that after traveling around the world, they went back to the Ossa Trail, but the Linkite Tree was already gone," Genis said sadly.

"And they've yet to find another Linkite Tree on any of their journeys," Lloyd sighed.

"Which means in order to meet Aska, we need to search for a Linkite Tree in a place you can't get to on foot," Raine stated nonchalantly.

"That sounds impossible," Lloyd growled.

Raine closed her journal. "We don't need to accomplish it immediately. Even if we did find a Linkite Tree, it wouldn't do us any good if it was dead."

Genis nodded in agreement. "The sound has to be carried on the wind and playing a melody sounds difficult, too."

Lloyd wrecked his brain over the problem for a second. "Couldn't you do something about a dead tree with your healing arts, Professor?"

Raine shook her head. "My power alone would not be enough. In order to heal something that is already dead, I'd need something that could strengthen my skills. Something that could call forth the Linkite Tree's will to live." She paused for a moment as a thought came to her. "Something like an exsphere or even just a small fragment of one. Also if it's dead, that means the ground there is weak. We'd need to replenish the earth and make it nourishing again."

"Dad's the only one I can think of who might have a spare exsphere," Lloyd said.

"Although if there are any other dwarves around, they might have one too," Genis added. Even though he had never seen another dwarf besides Dirk.

"There's nothing we can do but to give up on Aska," Raine said with a note of disappointment.

"Man, I wanted to see the summon spirit," Lloyd mourned.

Colette gave him a small smile. "Don't worry, Lloyd. I'm sure you'll see Aska one day."

"What are you people talking about?" Kratos asked when they finally got close enough.

"We were talking about those zoologists who saw a glowing bird," Lloyd said.

That got Kratos' attention. "A glowing bird?"

Raine nodded. "By the description, it fits the profile of the Summon Spirit, Aska."

"I've heard that Aska was supposed to be a wondering summon spirit," Kratos said slowly.

"Yeah, but meeting Aska sounds tough," Genis stated. "We have to find a tree known as a Linkite."

"Aw, the mysterious tree who's nuts can play music," Kratos said.

"You know about the Linkite!?" Lloyd exclaimed in surprise.

"I am a mercenary who has heard many types of legends and folklores," Kratos stated. "I, however, heard that the Linkite no longer exist."

"Yes, and even if one was still alive somewhere, it would be extremely hard to find," Raine said as she gave Kratos a curious stare. He seemed to know a lot, even for a mercenary.

"Even so, the Aska and the Linkite are out of our scoop," Kratos said. "We shouldn't lose track that we are on a journey to save the world."

Colette nodded. "You're right. The Journey of Regeneration comes before anything else."

"Sit down and eat. We move out in thirty minutes," Kratos said as he went to get lunch.

* * *

**I agree on Lloyd on this, I am glad to be done with the desert. We are slowly approaching one of my personal favorite parts of the game, so I really look forward to all of you reading it.**

**Kf2104, once again thanks for all your support and feedback. Once again, I always try to add a pinch of humor no matter how serious the situation is. I am just glad the joke worked out since I am not very good a writing humor. Although a character like Lloyd makes certain jokes easy.**

**peachesiscute, thanks very much for your review and I hope you continue to read. Tales of Symphonia is one of those few games that has a good mix of story, characters, and gameplay. What made Tales of Symphonia one of my personal favorites were the unique characters and the multiple player option. My brother and I spent the remaining of the summer before my first year in college playing this game and beat the game twice. It is one of my most fondest memories.**

**Anonymous Girl, I missed your reviews. I hope I will see you more often. Glad that my spelling is getting a little better. I really do try and I am happy that I am showing some results.**

**With that said, until next chapter.**


	14. Clumsy Assassin

**Sorry for getting this chapter out so late. I kind of lost track. Anyway, thank you all once again for all your feedback, reviews, and hits.**

**Now, to the story.**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Clumsy Assassin**

* * *

True to his word, Kratos had the group up and ready to leave in least than half of hour. It helped that Lloyd was anxious to see the Ossa Trail and find the remains of the Linkite Tree. He knew the boy's excitement wouldn't last long, so it was best to pushed them while Lloyd still had interest.

Thankfully for Kratos, they were able to avoid Nova's cavern on their way to the trail. Although Noise was upset that he couldn't greet his old friend, Kratos would have none of that. Nova would know Noishe at first sight.

Once they were safely out of Nova's sight it took them another hour before they reached the Ossa Trail. It hadn't change at all since the day Anna and him crossed it, except their was no ice now. He could sense some monsters up ahead, but there was nothing too threatening.

His major concern was that the trail was narrow and would make evading more difficult. Since Lloyd's fighting style required a lot of foot movement and wide motions, this road would proved to be difficult for him especially. He would have to keep a close eye on him.

"This road is really dusty," Genis noted before he gave a small sneeze.

"That is because there has been little rainfall in this area," Raine said. "It is a good thing since the road would be slick otherwise."

Kratos had to admire Miss Sage's knowledge. Her wisdom made it easier for him to hide his own knowledge and made him less suspicious. He wondered, however, if Miss Sage was catching on to him. Those looks she sometimes gave him were a little unnerving.

Before he could ponder further on the subject, he felt a strong mana signature in the area. It felt vaguely familiar.

"Stop!" a voice demanded.

The entire group stopped in their tracks as they searched around for the source of the voice. They didn't have to wait long a woman appeared before them in a puff of smoke. She wore a standard purple ninja gi except her was accent with a large pick bow on her back. Kratos could also tell that she was well-grown in her upper chest to the point that it barely fit her outfit.

Kratos immediate concern, however, was what she was holding in her hands. To the untrained eye, it looked like she was just holding pieces of paper or playing cards. He knew all too well that those 'papers' were deadly weapons that belong to only one group.

This girl was without a doubt a Mizuho ninja. Given his prior dealings with the group, she was most likely working for the Renegades. That would also explain how she even got here.

"What!?" Lloyd exclaimed after the shock of the girl's sudden appearance wore out.

Colette turned to look at Lloyd. "Is she a friend of yours?"

Lloyd shook his head. "Not that I'm aware of."

Kratos glanced at Colette for a moment. Why in the world would the Chosen think this woman was a friend?

"Is the Chosen of Mana among you?" the woman demanded.

"Oh, that's me," Colette said as she practically raised her hand.

Kratos had to bite back a sigh. This Chosen was proving to be too dumb to live.

Raine put her staff up, ready for the attack she knew was going to come. Kratos quickly did the same as he put his hand on the hilt of his sword. Since she was from Mizuho, this girl couldn't be underestimated.

The woman's eyes narrowed as she fixed her sights on Colette. "Prepare to die!" She then ran forward with her weapons ready.

Colette was so shock by the sudden movement that she fell back and hit something. A loud click was heard and a wooden door suddenly opened from the ground. Before the would-be assassin could stop herself, she ran right over the trap door. She appeared to hover in mid-air for a moment as a look of surprise overcame her face. She didn't have a chance to scream as she fell into the dark tunnel below.

The entire group stood shock for a moment as they watched the woman disappear. Within a few seconds a loud thug echoed from the hole.

"Uh-oh." Was the only thing the group could think to say, including Raine.

Kratos stood as still as a statue as he watched the scene unfold. By the rather calm reaction of the group this occurrence seemed to be common place. Given the Chosen's luck, it would hardly surprise him.

Noishe seemed to chuckled at the scene before him.

Colette got up in horror as she ran towards the hole. "Oh no, I did it again!"

"_So, this has happened before,_" Kratos thought dimly.

"You don't need to worry about it," Raine said as she lowered her staff. She didn't seem fazed at all. "If she had not fallen, you might have been killed."

That hardly calmed Colette down. "But..."

Lloyd's eyes softened as he looked down the deep hole. "I do feel a bit sorry for her."

Colette looked like she was gonna cry. "I hope she's okay."

Kratos almost shook his head. The girl was too soft-hearted for her good.

"Even assuming her weight to be forty-five kilograms, and this hole to be ten meters deep, and calculating the gravity constant at nine point eight, the impact shouldn't have been fatal," Genis said dispassionately.

Lloyd looked at his friend, completely lost. "Gravity...constant? I don't understand what you just said, but she's alive, right?"

"Probably," Genis said with a shrugged.

Lloyd shook his head as he looked back at the hole. "Still, she's got some bad luck." He began to chuckled a little. "Standing right on top of a trapdoor and all."

Raine took this time to walk towards the switch that Colette accidentally triggered. "It's not a trap. It is a hidden maintenance passage for the mountain path." She then pulled the switch back and closed the passage. It was better to be safe than sorry since she didn't want any of her students to accidentally fall in.

Kratos began to walk ahead. "We should get moving."

Lloyd looked towards the older man. "Hey, shouldn't we try to find out who that woman was?"

"She will come after us again on her own," Kratos said. Although the woman appeared to be incompetent, she was still a ninja from Mizuho. "This area is too confined and the footing is poor. It would be wise not to linger."

Lloyd knew Kratos' logic was sound, but he didn't care how he seemly brushed off the threat towards Colette.

"Kratos is right," Raine said. "We should get off the Ossa Trail before we ponder who she is."

The group finally moved on and began to head up the trail. The road was steep and it took awhile to make it up hill.

As hard as Lloyd tried, however, he couldn't get his mind off that girl that attacked them. Why would anyone want to hurt Colette? Even if one didn't believed in Martel, there was no reason to purposely hurt the Chosen. Not to mention that strange outfit she was wearing. He had never seen anything like it.

"Who was that girl?" Lloyd asked out loud to no one in particular.

Colette turned to face him. "I hope we get to see her again."

Lloyd almost rolled his eyes at Colette and gave a short chuckle. Colette was almost too cute in these moments. "What are you talking about? She's trying to kill you."

"Yeah, once we become friends, I'll have to ask her why she was doing that," Colette said.

"Are you kidding me?" Lloyd asked, although he knew at times like this Colette was usually dead serious. "How do you plan on becoming friends with her?"

Colette pause in thought. "Hmm. What would you suggest?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Lloyd asked. The girl, after all, didn't try to kill her.

"Try to come up with a plan before we see her again!" Colette demanded more harshly than normal.

The sudden sharpness in her voice took Lloyd off-guard. "Wait, I have to come up with the plan?"

"Well, you and Colette do seem to share a similar wave link," Genis added.

"I guess," Lloyd muttered. He had no idea, however, how he was supposed to make an assassin become friends with them. But she did seemed to be no older than him.

Noishe suddenly began to whine loudly and before anyone could stop him he bolted ahead of the group at full speed.

"Keep your guard up!" Kratos warned. Just as he said that a giant bear came charging at them from the mountain side.

Lloyd barely had time to take out his swords before the bear's claws met his swords. The impact was so strong that it knocked Lloyd to the ground.

"Lloyd!" Colette exclaimed as she released her wings and took out her chakrams. The bear turned its attention towards her, but Colette already had her attack ready.

"Angel Feathers!" Colette yelled as she threw her chakrams. Several rings of light shoots out from her weapons and left a trail of glowing pink feathers in their wake. The bear roar in pain as the rings hit it all over its body.

Kratos used this moment run in and finished the bear by impaling its heart. It gave one last dying roar before it fell limp onto the ground.

Colette ran to help Lloyd up. "Are you okay?"

Lloyd stared at her dumbfounded. "Colette, what was that?"

Colette tilted her head. "What was what?"

"That...that ring of light," Lloyd stuttered. "I mean, you just did magic."

"Yeah, when did you learn that?" Genis questioned further.

"It wasn't magic," Raine corrected. "At least, not the same type we use."

Genis turned towards his sister. "What do you mean?"

"Remember the teachings of the Church. When the Chosen becomes blessed by the angels she shall slowly regain her true form with each seal she breaks. Which mean, she also gains their powers," Raine explained.

Lloyd slowly stood up. "So, the angels can perform magic like you guys."

"Like I said, it isn't the same kind of magic as us," Raine stated. "While we gain our powers through our connection with mana, the Chosen gains her abilities from the Cruxis Crystal. So, her angelic powers are directly connected to the Goddess Martel."

"Sounds complicated," Lloyd muttered.

"That's because you don't go to Church," Genis teased.

"Shut up, Genis!" Lloyd snapped before he returned to his original thoughts. "So, Colette will grow stronger from every seal she breaks, right?"

"Pretty much," Raine said.

"Wow, that's so cool!" Lloyd exclaimed in excitement.

"Yeah," Colette said in a soft voice.

Raine gave Colette a look of pity. If only Lloyd knew the price Colette was going to pay for that power.

"We wasted enough time here," Kratos said. "Lets move before the scent of the dead bring more beasts."

The twisted and upward climb of the trail quickly grew on the nerves of the small group. Per usual, the novelty of the path wore out on Lloyd and he began to whine about how boring the trail was. Every now and then a monster would impede their path, but it was usually dealt with quickly.

With the monster population under control, Noishe returned to them halfway through the trail. During the walk Noishe would shake himself to get rid of the dust and dirt that would collect on his fur. This proved to be annoying since it got in everyone's face and caused Genis to have a sneezing fit.

Colette was in good spirits, however, since she used her wings to hovered above the more rocky areas of the road. Despite normally being a klutz, she had really taken to using her wings like an old pro. She was actually more graceful floating above the ground than she ever was on the ground.

"Man, how long is this trail?" Lloyd whined.

"I said it would take us the rest of the day before we reach the end," Kratos stated.

"But still..." Lloyd began.

"If you didn't over excite yourself all the time, you would have more patients," Genis said.

"You should welcome the boredom," Kratos advised. "When things get exciting, your life is in peril."

Raine nodded in agreement. "In any case, we should be near the exit."

Lloyd gave a long sigh. "Finally."

A sudden noise caught everyone's attention. To their backs was an old mine tunnel that was blocked by a wooden gate. That gate now shifted as someone attempted to pushed it open. Kratos felt the mana from the cave and knew that their assassin had returned.

The wooden gate then fell open to reveal the assassin from earlier. She was covered in sweat, dirt, and her clothes were torn in several places. Kratos was nonetheless impressed that the ninja escaped the fall with no major injures.

"W...wait!" the assassin exclaimed once she regained her breath. Obviously, the trip through the cave had drained her strength.

"Wow, she caught up with us," Lloyd said. He was also impressed by her strong will.

"Oh, thank the Goddess," Colette said in relief. She stepped forward to make sure the assassin was truly alright, which caused the woman to jumped back like she was about to be attacked. The look of panic would have been comical in any other situation.

"D…don't move!" the assassin stuttered.

"A wise decision," Raine stated in a deadpan voice, not wanting Colette to go near the assassin.

The assassin quickly recomposed herself and lost the look of fear on her face. She was obviously still nervous, however.

Kratos was beginning to wonder if this woman had actually spilled innocent blood before. He could tell by her aura that she had killed in the past, but she lack the cold edge of a true assassin. Why was this girl chosen for such an important mission?

"I won't be caught off guard this time!" the assassin exclaimed as she dropped something to the ground. In a puff of smoke a strange looking wooden creature came forward. It had reddish scraps of clothes on and what appeared to be a wooden wheel on its back. It looked like some type of spirit, especially because it floated above the ground.

"What is that!?" Genis exclaimed.

Raine's eyes were wide opened. "A Guardian Wind..."

Kratos glanced at Raine from the side of his eye. "_How did she knew what it was? Those arts only exist within Tethe'alla._"

Colette was so shock that she fell backwards and landed hard on her butt.

"Prepare to die!" the assassin yelled as she charged forward with her guardian right beside her.

Without a second thought, Kratos ran in front of Colette and blocked the assassin's path. He clashed with the woman's paper weapons and Kratos wasn't surprise to find that they were as hard as steel.

"I can't allow you to kill the Chosen," Kratos said neutrally as he pushed the assassin off and attempted to cut her in half. She was too fast and easily avoided the attack. She was not, however, expecting his shield to come forward and hit her upside the head. She grunted in pain as she rolled out of the way.

The others were having their own problems dealing with the Guardian Wind. The creature didn't have any magical weakness as Raine cast an Inspect Magic on the monster. Despite its name, however, it didn't appear to have an immunity to wind attacks.

"Lightning!" Genis yelled as a bolt of lighting hit the creature head on.

It stunned it for a moment, which left it opened for Lloyd to charged in and thrust his sword into its midsection. It responded by hitting Lloyd in the face and sent him flying into the air like a rag doll. Raine quickly performed Barrier to ease Lloyd's landing.

"Man, this thing is pretty tough," Lloyd said after he was safely on the ground.

"Don't drop your guard," Raine warned as she cast Sharpness on Lloyd's blades.

Lloyd nodded. "I won't." He ran into the fray again and jumped into the air. "Tempest!" he yelled as he slashed across the guardian several times.

"Icicle!" Genis yelled. The icicles formed from the ground and shattered around the guardian. Several bits of woods and splinters flew from the creature, but it was still able to fight.

"What a stubborn piece of wood," Genis muttered.

Kratos, meanwhile, was still busy dueling the assassin. He had extra help from Colette who threw her chakrams at the assassin, which distracted her for half a second. It was more that enough time for him to move in and punch the woman in the stomach with the hilt of his sword, knocking the wind out of her.

He could had easily finished her right then, but the Chosen insisted that the woman be kept alive. Since the Chosen was his 'client' it was unwise to upset her. That didn't mean, however, that he couldn't maim her. Which he attempted to do when he brought his sword down on her hand.

She pulled her hand away at the last second and brought out several scrolls of paper. "Power Seal!" The paper flew at him and he was forced to deflect them with his shield. Several, however, was able to bypass his shield and cut him on his arms and legs.

He brought his shield down and froze when he saw the girl take a very familiar stance. He could feel the mana swirl around her body and it made his blood run cold for a moment.

"Is...is she..." Kratos muttered in disbelief.

"I summon thee, let's go, Corrine!" the assassin yelled as a small creature appeared by her side. It looked like some kind of fox except it was yellow, had several fluffy neon blue tails, and an orange spiky hair style.

It was like no creature Kratos had ever seen before. Was it really a summon spirit? If so, what type was it?

Before he could ponder further, the fox like creature pounced on his face and began to claw at him. Kratos fought to get him off and he felt the assassin run passed him and head straight for the Chosen.

"I have you now!" the assassin exclaimed as she went to give Colette the finishing blow.

"Angel Feathers!" Colette yelled just as the assassin got into range.

The assassin was taken off-guard by the furry of rings and feathers. Despite the cute look of the attack, the rings cut deeply into her skin causing her to cry in pain.

Colette put her hands to her mouth in horror. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to hurt you."

The assassin looked at her in surprise. "I'm trying to kill you, you know!"

"But why?" Colette asked in a sad voice.

"Move it!" Kratos ordered Colette once he got that creature off of his face.

The assassin jumped out of the way as Kratos attempted to cut her from the back. Once she was safely out of range, she looked over her current situation. Much to her annoyance, her Guardian Wind was destroyed by the other group. There was nothing left of it except of broken pile of wood.

She almost wanted to cry when she saw the remains. Those guardians belonged to her grandpa and were sacred relics to her people. She had allowed herself to underestimate the ragtag looking group and used the weaker Guardian Wind. She thought about releasing her other two guardians to finish her mission, but she didn't want to risk losing them too. Once they were gone, she couldn't summon them back until she went back home to get them repaired. Whether she like it or not, it was best to retreat for now.

"Just you wait! I swear I will kill you all next time!" the assassin boldly exclaimed. The fox like creature next to her also growled in response. She then threw a smoke bomb down and disappeared from sight.

"Wait!" Lloyd yelled, but it was far too late to reached the assassin. He sighed in annoyance and sheathed both his swords. "Why are people trying to kill us?"

"There are always those that reject salvation," Kratos remarked offhandedly. There was no way he could give the true reason without given himself away.

"Maybe she's a Desian," Genis said. "You know, one of the Fallen that the Church talks about."

"Who knows," Kratos dismissed. "At any rate, we are in constant danger. That's all we have to know."

Raine had her hand on her chin and looked to be deep in thought. "Those clothes..."

Lloyd noticed how distance Raine seemed to be. "Professor, is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing," Raine dismissed quickly. Lloyd knew that Raine was lying, but decided it was best not to call her out on it.

Kratos narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but decided not to say anything as well. They both had their secrets and it was best not to test each other.

Colette paid no attention to the current conversation. Instead, she was looking deep into the mine that the assassin came out of a moment ago.

Raine saw her student looking into the cave and walked towards the girl. "It looks like the tunnel is still usable," she remarked, breaking the silences.

"I wonder if it was abandoned recently," Colette said. She had a trouble look on her face.

"It doesn't look like they exhausted the ore," Raine said, noticing the sparkles of metal against the dying sunlight. "There must have been some reason why they had to cease mining operations."

Colette's eyes became downcast. "The Desians..."

"Most likely," Raine said in a tight voice.

"We should get moving before the sun sets," Kratos advised.

Colette turned to face the older man. "But I can feel someone inside the mine."

"You can feel someone?" Lloyd questioned.

Colette nodded. "They are calling for help. I have felt it ever since that lady broke the gate."

Kratos opened his own senses and felt deep within the mine. He indeed felt something in distress, but it was not a human's plea. There was strong demonic energy coming from the tunnel.

"It is best that we don't tempt fate," Kratos said after a few minutes had passed. "We don't know what could be within that mine."

"But as the Chosen it is my duty to save people," Colette said.

Kratos wanted to tell her it was dangerous because of the demonic energy. He could hardly say that, however, since he was trying to hide his ability to sense such energy.

"Since you're the Chosen, it is your call," Kratos finally said. He hated being bind to the whims of this naive child.

Colette began to tap her hands together. "I...I'm sorry, I don't want to bully you. I just can't leave someone in need."

"Don't apologize for actually having a heart. Unlike some people," Lloyd said, while looking at Kratos.

Colette gave Lloyd a small smile. "Thank you, Lloyd."

"Let's go then," Kratos sighed as he led the way into the dark mine.

A strong sense of dread overwhelmed him and he had the feeling that they were getting more than they bargaining for. By the power he was sensing, he may have to go all out.

* * *

**If you have played the game you can guess where this is going. As promised in my profile, I will try to do just about all the side quests that is in the game including the Devil Arms.**

**Kf2104, thanks for the feedback and your continue support. Yeah, I plan to use the official couples withing my story, sorry Lloyd and Sheena fans.**

**Anonymous Girl, nice to hear from you again and yeah I did miss you. I honestly forgotten all about the 'hard' path within the game. Although I beat the game several times, I only took that particular path once. From a gameplay perspective it was fun and challenging, but it did not really flow that well in the context of the story. Lloyd meeting Kvar is a major event and Lloyd is not mentally or physically ready to meet him yet. Also, our favorite ninja has some growing to do on her own before she joins the group.**

**With that, thanks for reading and until next chapter.**


	15. Sword Dancer

**Updated right on time today, although I'm still a little late than I wanted. Thank you all, as always, for your feedback and views.**

**Without anymore talking, onward to the chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Sword Dancer**

* * *

The inside of the mine was cool and damp. From what Kratos could see, the tunnel hadn't been in use for decades. Although the equipment still seemed to be functional, despite the layer of rust and dust on the metal.

The lights that hung from the rafters were also still working, showing that this tunnel was build well and for long-term use. From the shines that were on the walls, this appeared to be an iron mine.

"This place reminds me of my dad's old home," Lloyd remarked.

"What do you mean?" Kratos asked.

"Well, my dad used to live in a cave years before I came to live with him," Lloyd explained. "When he took me in, he built the house you saw."

"Dirk built it in just over two months," Colette added.

"Just two months, that is impressive even by dwarves standards," Kratos said.

Lloyd nodded. "Dad put a lot of blood and sweat to give me a normal home. Although, I did kind of like the cave."

Genis began to chuckle. "It seems like Lloyd becomes more like a dwarf every year."

"That is not necessarily a bad thing," Raine said. "Lloyd has a level of experience with another culture that most people would never have in their lives. If more humans had his exposer, they may become more open to people who are different."

Genis' eyes suddenly became downcast. "...yeah."

Kratos could hear the hurt in the boy's voice. Given the origins of the siblings, it all made perfect sense.

He was happy that Lloyd had not turned into a bigot, but he wondered why the Sages never told him the truth. Surely, they must know that Lloyd wasn't like normal humans. Then again, he has learned that paranoia could do strange things to people.

"Hey Colette, what is this cry for help you hear anyway?" Lloyd suddenly asked.

Colette lowered her head. "It isn't so much a cry, but more like a feeling," Colette attempted to explain. "I actually felt it when I accidentally opened that mine shaft, but I wasn't sure what it was at that time."

"It could be because you are growing closer to the Goddess Martel and it is making you more sensitive to the plight of others," Raine stated.

"But Colette was already sensitive to other's feelings," Genis pointed out.

Raine nodded. "I'm aware of that, but becoming an angel could make her even more sensitive." She hesitated between parts of her explanation since she didn't want to accidentally reveal Colette's fate.

"But who could be way down here?" Lloyd asked in confusion. "I mean, besides that weird girl, it looks like no one has been down here in years."

"I know...I just want to know who it is so I can help them," Colette said.

The more the Chosen talked; the more Kratos was reminded of Martel. What they were doing was exactly what Martel would have suggested if she were here. A part of him wondered if ones' mana signatures somehow influence behavior.

"I wonder how big this tunnel is?" Genis wonder out loud. "It took that assassin the same length of time to get out of here as it took us to cross the trail."

"Maybe so, but there are several factors that you're not accounting for," Raine said. "Most likely, that assassin was knocked unconscious when she landed. Even if she wasn't, she would still have to nurse her injuries to the point she would be able to still fight us. Not to mention that one can easily get lost in these tunnels."

Genis nodded. "I see your point."

"I just hope we don't get stuck here for hours," Lloyd whined.

"Bored already?" Genis asked smugly.

"Shut up, Genis!" Lloyd snapped.

"Behave yourselves," Kratos said firmly, which ended any further arguments.

They walked for almost twenty minutes with little fanfare. There weren't any monsters in the mine, most likely because of the wooden gate that shielded the area, although Kratos could feel that demonic area growing stronger by every moment.

This wasn't a normal demon, that much he could conclude. If he didn't know better, he would think that this demon came from Niflheim, but that wasn't possible. As far as he knew, the gate to Niflheim was still sealed. If the door were opened, this world as well as Tethe'alla would have become part of the demon realm.

That would also mean that Ratatosk was dead. Although the old summon spirit of the Kharlan Tree hasn't been seen in millenniums, it was unlikely that he had died. Mithos would be one of the first to know because of his pact with Origin. Then again, there are other ways for demons to enter this world. Maybe it was best not to think too much about it.

"What...what's that!?" Genis exclaimed as he backed into his sister.

They had reached a dead end and on the ground laid a large black skeleton. It look several feet tall and had horns on its skull. Kratos wrecked through his memory to think of what kind of creature this could be. So far, however, nothing came to mind.

"What an interesting specimen," Raine noted as she took out her monster book. "I've never seen a breed like this before. I can't even tell what it was."

"It is still alive," Kratos said in a deadpan voice.

"Is it an undead monster?" Genis questioned.

Colette ignored all the talking and walked towards the creature.

"Colette, be careful," Lloyd warned.

Colette knelt forward to get a better look. "Are you the one who called for help?"

The creature appeared to take a long breath, startling everyone except Kratos. "I...fight...strong ones," the creature muttered in a voice so soft that it was barely audio. "You...face me..."

"Fight, you want to fight us?" Colette asked.

"What kind of help is that?" Lloyd asked.

"This thing is crazy," Genis said. "Let's get out of here before it attacks us."

Colette shook her head. "But it's in pain. We can't just leave it here."

"I don't know what this creature is, but it seemed to have called us here because it believes we're strong enough to defeat it," Kratos said.

Raine rubbed her chin. "So, it wants to lose in battle?"

Colette stood back up. "We should fight him then."

"Are you crazy!?" Genis exclaimed. "We don't know what this thing will do to us!"

"Fighting him would put you in great risk," Raine informed Colette. "Remember your duty as the Chosen."

Colette shook her head. "But we just can't turn our backs on someone in need." She then turned towards Lloyd. "What do you think?"

Lloyd bit his lip in thought. He wasn't feeling all that confident about fighting this creature. Just looking at him sent shivers down his spin. A part of him wanted to run out this cave as fast as possible and forget he ever saw this overgrown skeleton.

At the same time, however, it did seem wrong to just leave this guy as he was. Although he couldn't sense the creature's distress like Colette, he could see how pitiful this creature had become. Here he was in this abandon mine all but forgotten, longing for someone to challenge him. It kind of reminded him of the old stories his dad used to tell him about warriors looking for one last battle before they died. He wasn't sure if this creature wanted the exact same thing, but it was a possibility.

"I think we should help it," Lloyd finally said.

Genis sighed. "You both have lost your minds."

Kratos also had to keep himself from sighing. "If that is what the Chosen wants." He just hoped this doesn't force him to reveal himself.

"I guess we have no choice then," Raine muttered.

Lloyd stepped forward to face the creature. "We accept your challenge."

The creatures empty eyes sockets began to glow with reddish orbs. "Prepare...to DIE!" it roared that last part as it reared itself from the ground.

Dirt and dust flew everywhere as it revealed its full height to everyone. It had to be at least twenty feet tall since it head hovered just inches away from the ceiling. With a thought, the creature summoned his blades to his four hands. They hovered above the ground for a few seconds as he grasped each one. Each of the blades looked to be half the creature's height.

"This looks bad," Genis muttered.

Raine held her staff ready. "This is going to be a arduous battle."

"Mortals...prepare to meet your end...at the hand of the Sword Dancer," it growled.

"Sword Dancer?" Kratos repeated.

The creature ran towards the group and had it blades ready to strike. Lloyd put his own swords up and performed Guardian to block the incoming attack. It quickly proved to be in vain, however, when the Sword Dancer slammed his swords into Lloyd's shield so hard that it shattered on impact.

"Lloyd!" Genis yelled in panic as he finished his spell. "Stone Blast!"

Several rocks hit the Sword Dancer head on, but it barely stunned it. It did, however, buy Lloyd enough time roll out the way. He was still shaken badly from the attack.

"Angel Feathers!" Colette yelled as her rings of light hit the creature. It gave a loud scream of pain as the light spell burn through him.

"As I thought, he is weak against light spell," Kratos said. Now more than ever did he wish he could use his angel powers.

Genis nodded as he charged enough spell. "Then let's try, Fireball!"

Several fireballs hit the Sword Dancer, but it didn't slow down as he ran towards the young mage. Genis screamed at the creature brought down its swords on him.

"Barrier!" Raine yelled.

The shield absorbed some of the attack, but it didn't hold as it went through the barrier and hit Genis. The boy stood their stun as blood rushed from his opened wound.

"GENIS!" Raine screamed as she franticly worked her healing spell.

Kratos used this time to charge in for his own attack. "Light Spear!"

He attacked only reached its legs, but it was enough to get its attention. Lloyd rejoined the fight and performed Tempest to hit the demon's tall body. He then followed it by thrusting his sword several times into the Sword Dancer's body while he was still in midair.

Kratos had to admit that Lloyd was becoming better with that strange attack of his.

The Sword Dancer, however, was not as impress as it attempted to cut Lloyd in half.

"Angel Feathers!" Colette yelled again, causing the Sword Dancer to reel in pain as it attempted to escape the blades of feather and light.

Genis mourned in pain as he slow recovered from his wound. Even with Raine's magic, he could still see a giant red line where the Sword Dancer had hit him. He had a feeling that was going to turn into a scar.

"Are you alright?" Raine asked, her voice full with concern as she looked over her brother.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Genis muttered. "But my spells have no effect on it."

Raine shook her head. "Low levels spells like yours are no match for a creature from the underworld. Stand back."

Genis was hurt by Raine's words as she ran over to give support to the others. Lloyd and Kratos were barely holding their own, even with Colette's help. Although Colette's spell caused the most damage, it still wasn't strong enough to take down the creature.

Lloyd felt energy surging through him as he willed more power into his exsphere. "Double Demon Fang!" he yelled as he released two Demon Fangs from each of his swords.

The Sword Dancer deflected both of the attacks, however, and brought one swords down that sent a wave of dark energy that sent Lloyd flying.

Kratos responded by releasing his own giant wave of mana that cut through one of the demon's rib bones. Since it was a walking skeleton, it had little effect.

Colette was completely exhausted at this point and had little mana left. Raine quickly realized what was wrong and ran over to give Colette an orange gel.

"Eat this, it will help you feel better," Raine ordered.

Colette took the jelly like orange drop and carefully ate it. She never had one before since she didn't used mana in her attacks until now.

Her eyes lit up when she felt the rush of mana going through her. "Wow, I do feel much better."

Raine nodded. "Don't drop your guard."

Her warning didn't come a moment too soon before a wave to dark energy nearly hit them. Colette quickly used her Damage Guard to repel most of the attack.

Kratos growled in frustration as he attempted another Light Spear. This demon was tough and he couldn't use any of his strongest attacks against it. To make matters worst, no one in this group was really prepared for this type of battle.

The Chosen only knew one angel spell, Lloyd was still a novice with his swords, Miss. Sage's healing abilities left a lot to be desire, and the boy was still using low-level spells. At this rate, one or more of them was going to get killed. Looks like he would have no choice but to go all out.

Genis watched in frustration as he saw his friends fighting for their lives. He felt so useless. He wanted to help, but he has been nothing but a burden. It was his fault that Lloyd was even here. If he hadn't taken him to that Ranch, Lloyd would be safe in Iselia, the village wouldn't have been burnt down, and Marble would still be...

He felt tears build in his eyes as he thought about Marble. He looked to his exsphere and felt the warmth of his human friend. This was all that was left of Marble. She gave her life to save theirs and here he was doing nothing with that life.

He wanted to be stronger so he could protect his friends. He wanted to help others, like Lloyd. Genis looked up to see Lloyd perform a series of swords slashes and thrusts against the Sword Dancer. Although he had less skill than Kratos, he more than made up for it with his heart. That was the heart that he wanted.

Genis felt the exsphere on his hand warm up and shot through his body. For a moment, he could have sworn he heard Marble's voice and saw her face in his mind's eye. He felt knowledge come into his head and his mana swirling like tornado.

He stood up and began to chant the new spell. "Burn!" Genis yelled as he ready his spell. "Eruption!"

Several waves of lava suddenly pulsed from the ground and engulfed the Sword Dancer. It gave a short scream of both surprise and pain as the demon attempted to pull itself out of the lave.

"What was that!?" Lloyd exclaimed.

Kratos looked towards Genis and saw his exsphere pulse with mana. It would appear that the boy's friend came through for him, even in death.

"Genis learned a midlevel spell," Raine stated in awe. The timing was almost too perfect.

"Congratulation, Genis!" Colette cheered.

"Save it for later!" Kratos yelled as the Sword Dancer got back into position. It bones were nearly black from the lava, but it was hardly down.

"Kratos, back me up on the heals," Raine said as she charged a spell.

Kratos took a quick glance at the Professor. "She's going to attempt that."

"Photon!" Raine yelled as a ball of light exploded in the Sword Dancer's face. The agonizing scream it made was enough to cause the group to cover their ears.

"Raine, you know an offensive light spell?" Genis questioned in awe.

"I have been working on it since I knew I was going on the Journey of Regeneration," Raine revealed. "I wasn't too confident to use it until now."

Kratos nodded in approval. It would appear he underestimated the group.

The Sword Dancer, however, was still able to recover and slammed both its swords into the ground, causing a small earthquake that caused rocks to fell from the ceiling and hit the group.

"Man, this guy is still going?" Lloyd asked in annoyance.

"You thought this would be easy?" Kratos questioned as he released two Demon Fangs at the demon.

"Eruption!" Genis yelled as he once again released a wave of lava and fire.

The Sword Dancer was prepared this time and was able to move out of the way enough to avoid the full impact of the spell. He was, however, nailed by Colette's Angel Feathers.

It attempted to take the fledging angel out with a swift swing of its sword. Raine was there to cast Barrier just in the nick of time, but Colette was still hit so hard that she was sent crashing into a nearby wall. She gave a short cry of pain as she slumped against the wall.

"Colette!" Lloyd screamed as he looked towards his fallen friend. He then turned his glares to the Sword Dancer. "You'll pay for this!"

He ran in and did a more powerful version of his Tempest, causing him to spin several more times in the air. It had little effect and the Sword Dancer easily swiped him aside.

"Damn, we need to take this guy down, now," Lloyd growled as he pulled himself off the ground. He looked towards Genis and an idea came to mind. "Genis, cast Eruption again."

Genis at Lloyd in surprise. "Why?"

"Just do it," Lloyd said.

Genis nodded as he flicked his kendama around in concentration. "Eruption!"

Once again, waves of lave rose from the ground. This time, Lloyd ran into the lava head on. Soon, he was covered in fire and ram the Sword Dancer with all his strength. For a moment, his mana took the form of a beast like creature within the flame of the fire.

Kratos' eyes widened as he recognized one his father's former attacks. The daze was broken quickly when he saw several of the Sword Dancer's bones break on his left leg. The demon tumble forward and nearly landed on Lloyd. Thankfully, his reflexes were quick enough to move out of the way before he was crush.

"Finish him now!" Kratos yelled as he charged the fallen demon and slashed it several time across its skull.

Raine followed through with another Photon and the demon cried in pain as its body fell apart.

Everyone stood perfectly still and waited to see if the demon would stand up again. The demon tilted its head to face them and it appeared to be actually smiling, although it had no lips. Its red eyes still burnt into them.

"I...await...next time..." the Sword Dancer said above a whispered and it slowly disappeared. Soon, there was nothing that remained of the demon.

"Wait, that was it?" Genis asked in shock.

Kratos sighed as he sheathed his sword. "We were victorious. That's more than enough."

"That thing nearly killed us!" Genis exclaimed.

"It was our choice to fight it," Kratos reminded the boy. "We could had simply left it alone."

Lloyd rubbed his sore body as he attempted to catch his breath. "I never expected to run into an enemy like that."

"He was huge. I bet he lived in a big house before he became a skeleton," Colette said cheerfully as Raine healed her remaining wounds.

Lloyd was amazed by how effortlessly Colette brushed off her injures. Colette always seems to be made of steel or something.

"Colette, he's not human," Lloyd said patiently as he realized how absurd her words were. "He even had horns."

"That may have been the end result of an elite being from the Underworld," Raine observed.

"The Underworld?" Genis muttered in disbelief. "That's just a legend, isn't it?"

"Not necessarily. After all, demons and ghosts are completely different from our type of life forms," Raine explained. "It hasn't been proven, but I think it's likely that there is a world where those things we refer to as supernatural creatures live."

Kratos looked at Raine in confusion for a second before he remembered that the Otherworldly Gate and the Ginnungagap were not common knowledge to the general population. To them, such information was considered myth and legends.

"An elite being from the Underworld," Lloyd repeated in thought. "But we took him out and all, so it's okay now, right?"

"I hope so," Genis added. He would hate to run into that guy again.

Colette lowered her eyes, but chose not to say anything.

"It's getting late," Kratos said. "We should leave here and prepare camp."

Raine nodded. "We are all exhausted from that battle."

They began the short track out, relieve with the knowledge that no monsters were in the mines. Besides Kratos, they were all too tired to put up a fight.

"That was carelessly thing you did, charging into Genis' spell," Kratos suddenly said when Lloyd began to walk next to him.

Lloyd gave a short huff. "I knew what I was doing. My clothes kept me from burning up."

"I'm aware of dwarven fibers," Kratos said. "The dwarves created it to survive the core temperature of the planet. Nonetheless, it still has its limits."

"Well, it helped to take down that Sword Dancer," Lloyd said. "And that's what counts."

"Indeed, it would appear we actually owe a debt to it," Kratos stated.

Lloyd was shock by that answer. "Owe it a debt?"

"Because we fought that demon, everyone has gotten stronger," Kratos said. "That strength is needed in order to survive this journey."

"I never thought of it that way," Lloyd said in awe.

"Remember that whatever doesn't kill you only serves to make you stronger," Kratos said.

"Yeah, I definitely feel stronger after that battle," Lloyd chuckled. "I bet the next guardian at those seals won't be nearly as strong as that demon."

Kratos simply huffed in response. Although they were more prepared, he doubted Lloyd's words. Knowing Mithos, they will be a big bump in power between the first and second guardian.

After a few more minutes of walking, they finally reached the exit to the tunnel. The sun was almost complete set for the day and only a few rays of light remind.

They wasted no more time walking the remaining path of the Ossa Trail. By the time the sun completely set, they were once again in the open field. There to greet them was Noishe, who happily licked Lloyd's face.

"Okay Noishe, that's enough," Lloyd laughed as he pulled the dog off of him. "You always miss the good stuff by running away all the time."

Noishe whined softly.

"I still love you, even if you are a coward," Lloyd said affectionately.

Kratos almost shook his head at Lloyd's words. The boy had no idea what Noishe had went through. They both owned him their lives several times over.

Once they were far enough from the Ossa Trail, they began to set up camp. Since it was dark, Kratos left to collect the firewood while the other got everything else ready. It was Colette's turn to cook, which meant a lot of fruit for dinner. Lloyd would have loved some meat after such a tough day, but he didn't feel like cooking himself.

Colette was also quiet again, which always left him unnerved. He wondered if she was sick again. At least she was eating again, which was good thing. Although he did noticed something odd about her cooking tonight.

"Say Colette, has your sense of taste changed lately?" Lloyd bluntly asked as he ate his meal.

"hmmm?" Colette asked as she chewed her food.

"Ah, I mean, you've started eating even those green peppers you hated so much," Lloyd stated. It wasn't just the peppers. She also didn't cook the different variety of fruit she loved so much.

Colette had an expression of both embarrassment and shame. "Oh yeah...they just...don't taste so bitter anymore."

Raine, who was sitting next to them, put her own plate down in thought. "Maybe you've acquired an adult sense of taste."

"Maybe..." Colette said hesitantly.

Lloyd frowned. There was something she wasn't telling them. Maybe she was still ill from her sickness from the temple. He really shouldn't worry about it so much.

"I wonder if we were able to help that poor skeleton today," Colette suddenly said, changing the subject.

"Well, we gave it a good fight, so it should be at peace now," Lloyd said.

"Not necessarily," Raine suddenly said. "It did say until we meet again. Although it looked pleased to be defeated, I don't think it was quite at peace."

"You mean we might see it again?" Lloyd asked.

"It is a possibility." Raine stated.

Lloyd glanced at Genis, who was petting Noishe. "I don't think you should tell Genis that."

"I won't," Raine assured. "We might never see it again, but we should keep our guard up."

"I hope we do see it again, someday," Colette said. "If it's still in pain, I want to help him."

Lloyd gave out a short chuckled. No matter what happens, Colette would always be Colette.

* * *

**Well, that's one side quest out of the way. We will return to our regular quest in the next chapter.**

**Until next time.**


	16. Nightmares and Jealousy

**Here it is, another chapter ready for all of your enjoyment. Thank you again for all your reviews, hits, and favorites.**

**Now, onward to the story.**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Nightmares and Jealousy**

* * *

A loud roar pieced through his mind and he could see a large red orb glaring at him full of malice and blood. He could hear someone laughing in delight. It was a cold, sadistic laugh that sent chills down Lloyd's spin. He tried to move, but his body was held in place by some invisible force.

"Anna!" he heard someone yelled. The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't place who it was.

"How pitiful. The great angel on his knees before a monster. Oh how the mighty has fallen," the other voice mocked.

"_Lloyd, wake up!_" he heard someone yelled in his mind, but was disjointed from what was currently happening.

"Turn her back!" the other voice demanded. His voice was partly drowned out by the monster's roars.

"_Wake up, Lloyd!_" another voice demanded of him.

He could hear the other man's laugh over the other voices, however. "Once the demon seed is release, not even I can reverse it."

"LIAR!" the man screamed.

"_Lloyd, please wake up,_" a female voice pleaded. "_You're having a nightmare._"

Lloyd finally snapped his eyes opened and the world blurred around him. It felt like his heart was going to thump out of his chest and he was soaked in his own sweat. He then felt something cold pressed against his lips.

"Drink this," someone ordered.

Lloyd didn't protest as he drank the liquid, which felt heavenly against his dry throat. After another moment, he felt his head cleared from the grip of the dream and he could see his friends surrounding him.

Raine and Genis both had worried looks on their faces and Colette looked absolutely terrified. Noishe was whimpering softly and was licking his face in comfort. Even Kratos' stoic mask has given way to concern.

He felt the cup being pulled away from him and he did feel much calmer. He actually began to feel a little embarrassed by all the people surrounding him. He also didn't like Kratos seeing him so pitiful. Damn these nightmares.

"Are you alright?" Kratos finally asked, breaking the uncomfortable silences.

Lloyd numbly nodded.

"You haven't had a night terror in awhile," Raine noted. "I wonder what triggered it."

"He had one the night we left Iselia," Genis informed.

Kratos turned to look at the siblings. "This has happens before?"

"From what Dirk has told me, Lloyd some times suffers from sever nightmares that he calls night terrors," Raine explained. "I have only seen it once before when he was sleeping over our house years ago."

Colette turned towards Kratos. "He used to have them much more often, but they started to go away in recent years."

Kratos frowned deeply as he looked over Lloyd again. "Can you recall what these night terrors are?"

Lloyd absently stroked Noishe's fur as he tried to recall his nightmare. "I...I never remember much. Just the roars of some kind of monster and people talking."

"Do you know what the monster looks like?" Kratos questioned further.

Lloyd shook his head. "No..."

Kratos could sense that Lloyd was not telling the entire truth.

"I will make you some hot soup to help calm your nerves," Raine said as she stood up and went to get the cooking bowl.

Genis followed shortly behind her. "Raine, I don't think Lloyd wants to die." A loud smack echoed in the night's air, but no one paid too much attention to it.

"Lloyd, I'm so sorry," Colette said as she clamped her hands together. "This journey is causing your nightmares to return."

Lloyd gave her a weak smile. "It's not your fault, you dork. It isn't that bad." As soon as he said that a flash of lightning filled the sky causing Lloyd to jump.

"Damn, I hate lightning," Lloyd muttered.

Noishe nuzzled his face and whined softly.

"So, lightning is your trigger," Kratos observed.

"It...it tends to make the nightmares worst," Lloyd confessed.

Kratos stared at him for a moment. "Will you be alright to travel tomorrow?"

The fear left Lloyd's face and was immediately replaced with a deep glare. "Of course, no nightmare has eve slowed me down." Did Kratos think he was a complete wimp?

"Being afraid isn't a weakness," Kratos said in the most tender voice that Lloyd had ever heard from him. "It is acknowledging your fears that helps make you stronger."

"Kratos is right," Colette said. "If you need to rest for a day, I don't mind waiting. Your health is more important."

Lloyd gave a small chuckle. "Weren't you the one sick just a couple days ago?"

"Izoold is still another two days walk from here," Kratos added. "Another day would be of little consequence."

Lloyd lowered his head in thought. "I...I can't say right now."

Kratos nodded. "Very well, you don't have to decide at the moment."

They all stood in silence for another ten minutes before Raine returned with the soup. Thankfully, Genis was able to convince his sister to let him make it, which worked for the best since Genis didn't want Lloyd to have a sour stomach on top of his sleeping issue.

Lloyd ate the soup slowly and did his best to ignore the flashes of lightning in the distance. Kratos used this time to set up the tents just in cause there was a downpour during the night.

Once Lloyd was nice and full he crawled into one of the tents and quickly fell into a dreamless sleep. The others did the same until Kratos was the only one left awake since he had the night watch. This gave him plenty of time to contemplate what he had just witness.

It appeared that Lloyd did suffer some long-term affects from that night. Most likely those 'nightmares' were repressed memories from that terrible night when he lost Anna. It made sense since Lloyd was screaming for his mother in his dream. He had heard that a sever trauma could cause waking nightmares in some people.

He never suffered the affects, however, since he had long lost the need to sleep. If he did sleep, he too would most likely be suffering from nightly terrors. He had already experienced them when he was awake.

What made things worst was that there was nothing he could do to ease Lloyd's pain. He could hardly tell him the truth of his dreams and even if he did, he doubted it would help much. The damage has been done and there was nothing to be done about it now.

He just hoped that Lloyd doesn't suffer too many of these night terrors before the journey ends. He didn't think he could take seeing Lloyd in such pain again.

The rest of the night was thankfully calm and no more nightmares hunted Lloyd for the remainder of the night. When daybreak came, however, Lloyd was still dead asleep. Kratos decided it was best to let Lloyd wake on his own instead of dragging him awake like he would usually did.

Kratos also didn't want to test if Lloyd had a phobia to lightning. The sky was nearly complete black from thunderclouds to the point it still seemed like night. The rumbles of thunder could clearly be heard in the distance and Kratos knew they were in for several days of rain.

"Are you alright, Mr. Kratos?" a soft voice asked, breaking him from his thought. He looked up to see the gentle face of the Chosen staring down at him.

"I am fine," Kratos said.

Colette took a seat next to him. "You're still worried about Lloyd, aren't you?"

"I am concern that his mental state could impend our journey and put you in needless danger," Kratos answered casually.

"You don't have to lie," Colette said. "I know you care about Lloyd. That's why you're so tough on him."

"I think you read too much into my actions," Kratos said. Although the Chosen was uncomfortably right in her assessment.

Colette began to tap her fingers together. "It's okay to care about others. I don't understand why you won't open up to any of us."

"I'm a hired hand," Kratos answered. "It's not my duty to get close to anyone."

Colette looked him straight in the eye. "But you're far more than a mercenary. You're more like a friend or an uncle I never had."

Kratos had to keep himself from scoffing. "You've known me for barely a week."

"But the Goddess Martel has shown me your heart," Colette said. "Despite how you act, I know you're a good, caring man."

"I should be getting breakfast ready," Kratos cut off. "Go wake everyone, except Lloyd." He then got up and walked towards the campfire.

He hasn't been a good, caring man in a long time. He even doubted that he was ever one to begin with. He didn't know what Anna saw in him, but she thought the same as the Chosen and looked where it got her. He helped create this twisted world and watched people willingly give their lives for a lie. To make his sins even worst, he was currently leading this girl that trusted him to her death. He was to assure that she died at that tower and her shell be used to raise the spirit of someone long dead.

This Chosen didn't know what she was talking about and was being a fool. Maybe it was best for her to die at this point in her life and be spared from learning the harsh truth about him and the world in general. The Chosen had him completely wrong. He was anything but a caring person.

Breakfast was ready within another twenty minutes and Kratos surprised everyone with cooking something besides eggs. He actually fixed everyone omelets with melted cheese and peppers on top.

"Wow, I didn't know you could cook like this," Genis complimented as he took a bit of his omelet. "This is even better than what I make."

"I have more experience," Kratos stated.

"I must asked, what made you decide to cook such a big breakfast?" Raine questioned.

"We are in no hurry to move today so I had more time to fix a decent meal," Kratos said. "When Lloyd wakes up, there are some leftovers for him."

"Knowing Lloyd, you will have lunch ready by the time he gets up," Genis said in a deadpan voice.

"That maybe for the best," Kratos said. "I heard that night terrors could be made worst by a lack of sleep."

Colette began to stare at Kratos. "Are you going to eat?"

"I had mines already,." Kratos answered nonchalantly.

"You must be one quick eater," Genis stated. "I mean, you always finish your meals so fast that no ones ever sees you eat."

Raine began to tap her plate. "Yeah, I do find that interesting."

"As a traveling mercenary I have learned to function with little to no food," Kratos said. "It is hardly anything usual."

"I suppose," Raine said, not quite believing him.

Once breakfast was done, the group spread out and did their own thing. Raine got out several books and began to study more about where they were going, while Genis worked on mastering some new spells. Colette amused herself with playing with Noishe.

It was closed to noon by the time Lloyd emerged from his tent, looking no worst from wear. Kratos glanced at the boy at he approached the campfire.

"How are you feeling?" Kratos asked.

"Better," Lloyd answered. "I'm surprise you didn't wake me like usual."

"There was little point getting you up if you were exhausted," Kratos said. "You're no good to the Chosen half awake."

"So glad to see you we were worry about me," Lloyd said sarcastically.

"Here is your breakfast," Kratos said as he handed Lloyd his omelet. "Since you are just eating, I don't have to make you a sandwich for lunch."

Lloyd took the omelet. "You made this?"

Kratos nodded as he watched Lloyd take a bite of his omelet. He could tell by the slight smile on Lloyd's face that he enjoyed it. "Are you feeling okay to travel? If not, I need to tell the others."

Lloyd paused in mid bite as he looked into the darken sky. The rumbling thunder in the distance did unnerve him, but didn't want Kratos to know that.

"I...I want to travel," Lloyd finally said. "I don't want to hold everyone back and get caught in the rain."

Kratos decided it was best not to questioned Lloyd's decision. He didn't want to come across as patronizing him. He would just have to keep an eye on Lloyd for the time being.

"I will tell the others," Kratos said as he stood up. "Take your time."

Lloyd watched Kratos leave and he started to pick at his omelet. He couldn't figure that man out. He came off as someone with a stick up their butt, but at the same time he seemed to have a gentle side. Although he was upset that Kratos saw him as some kind of burden, the look of worry on his face after his nightmare was very real. Maybe he came across as a jerk to hide his real emotions.

Lloyd began to laugh at himself as that thought crossed his mind. He was starting to sound like Colette.

"What's so funny?" Genis asked.

"It's nothing," Lloyd dismissed. "Sorry about worrying you last night."

Genis waved his hand. "It's nothing, but I'll never going to get use to your nightmares. I thought you were being murdered."

"Am I really that loud?" Lloyd muttered.

Genis patted Lloyd's shoulder. "Afraid so."

"Hurry up and finish your breakfast," Kratos ordered. "We move out in ten minutes."

Lloyd sighed. "Well, some things never change."

True to Kratos' words, they were up and pack in ten minutes. They then continued their journey towards the fishing town of Izoold. Their progress was made slow, however, when it started to rain three hours into their journey. It started out light, but gradually increased throughout the day.

Lloyd remained unsteady every time he heard a lightning strike, but he did a decent job hiding it. Colette began to walk by his side in an effort to comfort him. Kratos kept a closed eye on the two since Lloyd was not on guard.

Unfortunately, the weather did not get better over the next couple of days. It would only quit raining for a couple of hours at a time before it started again. This made the path muddy and hard to walk, severely slowing their progress.

Raine was not used to traveling for long periods of time and had a hard time keeping up with the more energetic members. Genis was even worst, but he was able to ride Noishe whenever he got too tire.

Colette was in amazing shape for someone who has been pampered for most of her life. She was easily able to keep up with Lloyd's strides, which were second only to Kratos.

Lloyd quickly found out, however, that he was a distance second. Although he was able to keep up with Kratos for the entire time the first day, it left him feeling completely sore the next day. Kratos had crazy endurance and could walk nonstop for hours without even breathing hard. Lloyd began to wonder if the man was even human.

After nearly three days of walking, Lloyd had to keep himself from cheering when he saw a town in the distance. He was tired of being wet and the stupid thunder that grind his nerves. It was getting harder to hide his discomfort from Kratos, but he didn't seemed to have noticed. He was extremely grateful that Colette stood by him the entire time, lending her silent strength.

It was about five in the afternoon when they stepped into the small fishing town. Lloyd felt the smell of salt and fish overwhelm his senses, causing him to winkle his nose. The town was also damp from all the rainfall.

The town was nearly completely made out of wood and the houses were no bigger than one story. By first appearances, the town looked very poor. It didn't helped that the people he saw so far were dress in half torn shirts and pants.

"So this is Izoold," Genis noted. "Doesn't look like much."

This earned a well-earned smack upside Genis' head from Raine. "That is no way to talk about such an important town to the economy of Sylvarant. Next to Palmacosta, this town makes up most of Sylvarant's fishing and gel industries."

"Even so, it still looks ransack," Lloyd said.

"Since most of these people spend most of their lives sailing in a small boat, they don't spend much time in their homes. Which is why the houses here are so simple," Kratos stated. "In either case, we should find an inn. We can continue in the morning."

Raine turned towards Kratos. "I will book the inn and buy the supplies. The rest of you should go find a ship for us to use."

Lloyd nodded. "Shouldn't be too hard."

They started their search at the dock, which was bigger than they expected. There were several dozen ships in port and sailors surrounded the entire area.

"Wow, it's so crowded here," Colette said in awe.

"I don't even know where to begin to look," Genis said as he shook his head.

"We need to find the boss," Kratos stated.

"Boss?" Lloyd repeated.

"He is the one who gives orders to all the sailors," Kratos said, drawing from his own former experiences. "In a busy port like this, there is one person who runs it to ensure everyone's safety. He will also have the departure schedule for all the ships."

Lloyd rubbed his hair. "Well, I guess we just have to ask around until we find this person."

This proved to be more time consuming then they thought since most of the sailors were either too busy to answer their questions or too drunk from a night of partying.

"I wonder why some of these sailors are sick?" Colette asked. "Do they all have sea sickness?"

Lloyd wasn't sure how to answer her question. He knew the signs of heavy drinking because of his own personally experience when he had one too many. In his case, he couldn't get out of bed and had a major headache that lasted the entire day.

"Sailors tends to live a very loose lifestyle and they have a tendency to play too much," Kratos explained.

Colette's eyes widened in surprise. "I didn't know you could get sick from partying too much."

"It isn't necessarily the partying that makes them ill," Kratos said in a patient voice.

"Oh I know, they get sick from staying up too late," Colette said with a bright smile.

Kratos was about to object her logic before a tiny elbow poked him in the ribs.

"Give it up, it's much easier that way," Genis stated.

Kratos decided it was best to take the young mage's advised.

After over an hour of searching, they finally found the person who ran the deck. He was a fairly young man who didn't look a day over twenty. He also didn't have the roughness of the other sailors.

"You're looking for a ship?" the man asked as he looked over the group.

"Yeah, can you tell us when one is leaving?" Lloyd asked.

"The only ship in this port still in operating is the fishing boat that belongs to Maxe," the man informed.

"It is strange that only one ship is running in such a busy season," Kratos said.

The man sighed. "Tell me about it. But it can't be help. The seas have been rough with monster attacks lately."

That was understandable since the monsters were fighting for survival because of the mana shortage. "Even so, sailors are known for traversing the seas, regardless of the dangers," Kratos said.

"You're talking about days long passed, my friend," the man said. "Unfortunately, there are few real sailors left in the world. Ever since Jason retired from the seas, there haven't been many to take his place."

Kratos nodded his head in understanding. A part of him, however, was happy that Jason was no longer risking his life. He was a good man who deserved a long happy life.

"Thomas may be able to help you, but he took off sailing weeks ago and isn't due back here until another three weeks," the man continued.

"Three weeks, that's way too long," Genis complained.

"It's okay, maybe Maxe will help us," Lloyd said.

"Not likely," the man said as he rolled his eyes. "That man is too smitten with a certain redhead."

"Pardon?" Lloyd asked in confusing.

The man cleared his throat. "It's nothing. In either case, Maxe is over there." He pointed to a man who appeared to be guardian a fairly small boat. Small in comparison to the ships that were currently in port.

"Thanks," Lloyd said as the group made their way towards Maxe. He was a fairly chunky man with light brown hair and blue eyes. He wore a dirty brown vest with torn jeans. It also looked like he hadn't shaved in the last couple of days.

He took a glanced over to his side to see Lloyd's group approaching him. "Who are you?"

"Excuse me, but we need a boat to take us to Palmacosta," Lloyd said. "We were wondering if you would be nice enough to give us a ride."

Maxe shook his head. "No way, I'm not going back out to sea. Especially if he's still here."

"He?" Lloyd repeated in confusing.

"The one who dares competes for my precious Lyla's heart," Maxe said with fire in his eyes. "He won't win her. I'll make sure of that."

"As fascinating as your love life sounds, we really need to get to Palmacosta," Genis said dryly.

"Find someone else!" Maxe snapped.

"Hey, you're not talking about Aifread, aren't you?" a sailor nearby asked

"Yeah, that's him," Maxe muttered.

The sailor began to chuckle. "Well, you don't have worry about him. He left this morning to return to his hometown."

"Really?" Maxe said in surprise. "But I shouldn't leave Lyla alone. That no good pirate might come back."

"Please, it take several weeks to get to Luin from here," the sailor said as he rolled his eyes. "You can go and come back from Palmacosta by the time Aifread gets halfway to Luin."

Maxe sighed. "I have to think about it. It's still dangerous to sail in these seas. Aifread just shows how reckless he is by just sailing off."

"Aifread maybe a rough character, but he is a true sailor man," the sailor said. "Unlike the other gutless swine here who have the nerve to call themselves sailors."

"Say what you will, but I'm not about to needlessly risk my life," Maxe shot back.

Lloyd sighed. "This is hopeless."

"We may have to wait for Thomas to return," Kratos said. It was something he wasn't looking forward to, especially if this was the same Thomas he knew from years before.

"It sucks to wait here for three weeks though," Genis said.

"It's okay," Colette said. "We can't force anyone to do anything."

"We could if we told them you were the Chosen," Genis pointed out.

Colette quickly shook her head. "But I don't want to take advantage of people. People should help us because it's the right thing to do. Not because I'm the Chosen."

"But it doesn't sounds too realistic," Lloyd said.

"Regardless, let's go to the inn and meet up with Miss Sages," Kratos said. "There is nothing more than can be done here."

They began the short walk back towards the main housing area. Lloyd was not looking forward to staying here for three weeks. He was already bored with the town and smell of fish. The rain hasn't done a thing to improve his mood either.

"How can I quell these feelings I have...Aifread?" Lloyd heard someone muttered, which stopped him in his tracks.

He looked up to see a girl wearing a white cap that covered her short red hair. She wore a simple shirt and with shorts that went down to her knees. She also had the most annoyed look on her face.

"Did you say Aifread?" Lloyd asked.

The girl glared at Lloyd. "Why you asked?"

Genis moved to join the conversation. "If you're looking for Aifread, we heard he went back to his hometown."

The girls face lit up. "What did you say?! Is that true?!" she all but yelled, startling Genis.

"Yeah...that's what I heard at the dock," Genis stuttered.

Her face then hardened in determination. "This is my chance!" She then ran towards the docks, nearly knocking Lloyd over.

"Whoa, what was all that about?" Lloyd asked.

"Maybe she is in love with Aifread," Colette suggested.

"Does it really matter?" Kratos questioned, not at all interested in the matter.

Lloyd suddenly got a hunch. "You guys go to the inn. I want to go back to the dock."

"Why?" Genis asked.

"I want to check on something," Lloyd said.

Kratos gave Lloyd an odd look. "Very well, but don't be gone too long."

Lloyd nodded as he ran back towards the docks. He nearly slipped several times on the damp wood, but was able to keep himself from fallen. He kept going until he found his way back at Maxe's boat. It would appear his hunch was right as he saw the girl from earlier arguing with Maxe.

"What's the matter with you!?" the woman yelled. "You're going to refuse my request? He's returned to his hometown of Luin!"

Maxe raised both his hands up in defense. "It's not like that. There are giant monsters at sea now. It's dangerous and I care about you too much to let you come aboard."

"Fine," the woman growled. "Then you go deliver the letter for me."

Maxe's face turned red at such a suggestion. "No, why should I have to act as a go-between for my rival in love!"

Now Lloyd understood. This girl had to be Lyla.

Lyla rolled her eyes at Maxe. "Oh please, stop whining!"

Maxe crossed his arms together. "That's my final answer.

Lyla glared at Maxe for a moment, causing him to squirm in place. Lloyd briefly wondered if Lyla was going to smack Maxe across the face.

"Fine," Lyla finally said as she turned her eyes towards Lloyd, catching him off-guard. "You there, I'd like you to deliver this letter for me to Aifread."

"Me?" Lloyd asked in surprise.

"Do you see anyone else here?" Lyla scoffed.

Lloyd quickly recomposed himself. "Well I would like to help, but I can't cross the ocean."

"If you'll deliver it, I'll have Maxe take you on his boat," Lyla said casually.

Maxe was taken off guard by the statement. "You can't be serious! I…I'm not going to do it."

Lyla turned to glaring at Maxe. "Are you saying it's all right if my letter doesn't make it to Aifread?" Her voice sounded calm, but it reminded Lloyd of the tone Raine used just before she punished them for misbehaving.

"L…Lyla! No, I mean, it's not…I don't mean that…" Maxe stuttered pitifully.

"Then, what do you mean!?" Lyla yelled. "If you keep making a fuss about this, I'll just do this on my own!"

Maxe opened his mouth to argue, but he was stomped. Lloyd didn't know the man, but he could tell that Maxe was whipped.

"Okay, okay, I'll do it," Maxe said. "Dammit..."

Happy with Maxe's answer, she then walked over to Lloyd. "It's in your hands now. Make sure it gets to him." She then forced the letter into Lloyd's hands.

Lloyd finally realized that Lyla didn't actually get him to agree to deliver the letter. Then again, he needed a ship and she pretty much gave him a free ticket. So, he guessed it all even out.

Without another word, Lyla left the dock.

"She's so pushy, but that's why I love her," Maxe said in a far off voice.

"Yeah...so, when can we leave," Lloyd asked.

"Oh...oh yeah," Maxe stuttered. "Well, I can be ready to leave by morning. Is that okay with you?"

Lloyd nodded. "Morning should be fine. Thanks a lot."

"Keep in mind that I'm not doing this for you," Maxe said firmly. "This is all for my beloved Lyla."

"Well, whatever. I'll see you in the morning," Lloyd said as he ran off to tell the others. After such a lousy couple of days, it was nice to have some luck.

* * *

**I know, another slow chapter. At least we're off the side-quest. I have to say, trying to make certain parts of the script more realistic is not as easy as one would think.**

**Kf2104, as always thank you for your constant reviews. As for your question, if you're talking about the Unison Attack that Genis and Lloyd did, it is called Fiery Beast.**

**Until next time.**


	17. Overseas

**I am so sorry for going over a month without updating this story. I had been busy with both school, my brother's wedding, and posting my other story. I decided to finish posting Shadow of the Dark Moon since it was a much shorter story before coming back to this fanfic. I hope this chapter was worth the wait and thank you for all the hits during the month break.**

**Now, onward to the story.**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Overseas**

* * *

It would seem Lloyd spoke too soon about having some luck. On the day they were supposed to take off for Palmacosta a giant thunderstorm decided to roll in during the middle of the night. Kratos decided it was too dangerous to allow Maxe to leave, so they were all effectively grounded until the storm passed. Three days had already passed and the storm still showed little sign of stopping.

Lloyd attempted to suppress a shiver as another thunderbolt flashed across the inn's window. Colette and Genis have been trying to cheer him up, knowing how he felt about storms, but even their best efforts did little to help. It didn't help that Genis was starting to get cabin fever and was driven everyone crazy with his shaper than usual tongue. Even Raine's punishments did little to stop him.

"With all this rain, I could had started work on my water spells," Genis grumbled.

Raine didn't bother to put down the books she was reading. "I've already told you that you can't go out. I don't want to risk you getting sick."

Genis rolled his eyes. "It takes more than a little water to make me ill."

"Regardless, you're still not going out," Raine said firmly. "Once...we're on the ship, it will take a day or two to reach Palmacosta."

Colette looked towards their teacher. "Are you alright, professor? You look kind of green."

Raine shook her head. "I'm fine."

"You're not getting sick, are you?" Colette asked in worry.

"Wouldn't that be ironic," Genis muttered.

"No, no, I'm fine," Raine assured quickly. "Just a little stuffy from being inside for so long."

"Regardless, I'll be glad when we finally leave," Lloyd said. "I'm sick of all this rain and I want to ride on the ship."

Raine visibly paled at the mention of the ship.

"From the looks of things, the storm should clear tomorrow," Kratos said as he cleaned his blade.

"How do you know that?" Lloyd asked.

"A gut feeling," Kratos answered. As he said that, another clash of thunder rocked the inn causing Lloyd to nearly jump out of his seat.

Lloyd finally had enough and stood up. "I'm going to the kitchen," he muttered as he almost ran out of the room.

Colette frowned as she watched him leave. "Poor Lloyd."

"Do you know why he fears thunder so much?" Kratos asked.

Colette shook her head. "He has always been like that."

"So, he never told you," Kratos stated.

"Lloyd has always been ashamed of his fear," Raine said. "He likes to think of himself as a tough guy."

"If he talked about his fears, he may had conquered them by now," Kratos said.

"Perhaps, but it isn't something you can force," Raine said as she turned a page in her book.

Genis bit his lip in thought. "I remember that Dirk told us that he found Lloyd during the winter's rain. Maybe that has something to do with his fear."

"I forgot about that," Colette said. "I remember the year that Lloyd came to us. Dad...I mean Frank said it was the worst storm in decades."

Kratos physically flinched when he heard the Chosen referred to her own father by his first name. No doubt that Remiel's cruel lie was tearing this girl apart.

On the subject of Lloyd, he already knew why Lloyd feared thunder. After what Kvar did to them, he was surprise that the fear was not even worst. He wanted to console Lloyd, but he didn't know how without revealing too much about himself.

He had hoped his friends would have known more so they could tell him. That way, he could use his knowledge without raising suspicion.

"Given what we know, it is possible that Lloyd's family was attacked during that storm and it had been embedded into his mind the fear of thunder," Kratos stated in a control voice.

Raine nodded. "That has been my conclusion as well once I heard what happened to Lloyd's mom."

"But Lloyd doesn't even remember what happened," Genis argued.

"Don't underestimate the power of the subconscious mind," Kratos said as he finished cleaning his sword. "You would be surprise by how many of our actions are influence by faded memories."

Raine's eyes suddenly became downcast. "Very true. It can some times drive a person mad trying to remember something that your mind won't allow."

Kratos raised an eyebrow. Was she talking about her own experience?

"Maybe Lloyd could find peace if he accepted Martel into his life," Colette suddenly said. "I mean, the road to Martel always leads to happiness."

"It is not as simple as that, Chosen," Kratos said.

"But Martel would help light his path and put his soul at ease," Colette said. "With her guidance, Lloyd could finally break free of his fears."

Genis looked down at his hands. "Maybe...maybe it would help Lloyd get over his anger of the Desians as well."

"It takes far more than faith to ease such wounds," Kratos said. He had to fight to hide his annoyance about how their 'faith' could heal anything, especially with the false goddess they had learned to worship.

Raine lowered her book. "You're not a believer in the Church of Martel, are you Kratos?"

Both Colette and Genis looked towards Kratos in surprise.

"I can't say that I am," Kratos answered neutrally.

"But...how can you go on a journey to regenerate the world if you don't even believe in it?" Genis asked.

Kratos gave the boy a hard stare. "Why does Lloyd care about this journey since he too doesn't believe in Martel?" Genis cringed by the harshness in Kratos' voice. "I don't know Lloyd's reasons, but mines are simple. It is a job."

Raine narrowed her eyes. "So, it is all about the money to you?

"That's correct," Kratos said emotionlessly.

"That's really all?" Raine asked, not completely believing him.

"That's so sad," Colette said, near tears. "Surely, you must have been touched by Martel some time in your life."

If she only knew. "One does not need to believe in a goddess to do a job," Kratos answered.

"Then what do you think happens to the Desians when the Chosen completes their journey?" Genis challenged. "Or where the Tower of Salvation came from and the angels?"

Kratos had to keep himself from chuckling. How ignorance must truly be bliss. "I don't bother to answer such questions since I, as a mere mortal, would never know. However, I have my own reasons for not believing in the Church of Martel."

"Then, I will pray for you, Kratos," Colette said as she put her hands together. "I pray that you will find your way along with Lloyd."

Kratos stood up and said nothing more as he left. Although the Chosen meant well, her unwavering faith was starting to make him ill. She was the Chosen so he shouldn't be surprise, but to hear her believing so strongly in this twisted and cruel lie was too much, even for him.

He didn't stop walking until he reached the kitchen, where Lloyd was still hiding. Kratos paused for a moment as he considered how best to approached his son. He still wanted Lloyd to come to him, but he knew that they boy didn't trust him. He had doubted that Lloyd even liked him.

Deciding it was best to take the direct approach, Kratos walked into the kitchen, startling Lloyd. The boy had to work on sensing his surroundings better.

"Oh, it's just you," Lloyd muttered.

"Are you feeling better?" Kratos asked.

"No, but I just needed to get out of the room," Lloyd said.

Kratos took a sit next to Lloyd. "I think I know the source of your fear. Your friends told me about what the day was like after you were found by your father."

"I don't remember that day at all," Lloyd said.

"You were still fairly young, so you wouldn't remember much," Kratos said. "However, it would appear many of your memories became sealed within your own mind, most likely to protect you. Because of that, your memories returns in the form of dreams."

Lloyd said nothing for a moment. "I...I do feel I should remember something whenever I have my nightmares, but I keep forgetting once I wake up."

"It could be your mind's efforts to protect you because it knows you're not ready to know the truth," Kratos said.

"How do you know so much?" Lloyd asked.

"I have seen and experience much in my life," Kratos said. "Because of that, I too sometimes suffer from waking nightmares and flashes of memories."

Lloyd's eyes widened. "You...but, I thought nothing gets to you."

"We all have weaknesses," Kratos said. "But as I said days ago, it is acknowledging our weaknesses that makes us stronger."

"Then...how did you conquer your weakness?" Lloyd asked carefully.

Kratos said nothing for a moment. "I try to remember what I am fighting for. In your case, it is remembering your duty to the Chosen."

"What about Colette?" Lloyd asked.

"You want to protect her, right?" Kratos asked, although it was more of a statement. "To protect the ones you care for, you must rid yourself of all doubt and hesitation. That is the first step in conquering any fear."

Lloyd shook his head in confusion. "I don't know what that has to do with being afraid if lightning."

Kratos stood up. "You will understand someday. You still have some time to grow." He then proceeded to leave the room.

"I still have time to grow? What the heck is that suppose to mean?" Lloyd grumbled.

* * *

Just as Kratos had predicted, the weather was completely clear the next day. If it wasn't for the damp grass and sidewalks, one couldn't tell that it had rained for almost a week.

The clear weather also brightened Lloyd's mood and he was nearly jumping up and down at the thought of riding a boat for the first time. Genis couldn't even make fun of Lloyd since he was equally excited, especially since he was finally out of the inn.

The youngest in the group ran ahead of the two adults, who were noticeably lagging behind. Raine didn't look so well and seemed to have gotten paler as they walked closer to the dock.

"Are you unwell, Miss Sages?" Kratos asked.

Raine nodded, but didn't bother to say anything else.

Kratos didn't know what to make of her shifted in mood, but he knew that Raine was going to be useless to them on the boat if she kept acting like this.

"Hey, you guys are late," Maxe grumbled as he finished putting the supplies on his ship.

"Sorry, I was kind of...ill yesterday," Lloyd said slowly.

"Well, whatever," Maxe shrugged. "I'm ready to go whenever you are."

"Thank you for given us this ride," Colette said politely. "We really appreciate what you are doing."

Maxe blushed slightly at Colette's words. "Uhmm, thanks."

"Raine, are you feeling alright?" Genis asked as he helped Raine on the boat. She was actually starting to shake and looked like she was going to run off the ship.

"Professor?" Lloyd asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine. I'm just not used to the unsteadiness of a ship," Raine said slowly, trying to hide her fear. She then looked around the ship and sighed. "I was afraid this journey would force me on a boat sooner or later."

Maxe looked very concern at Raine's demeanor, but decided not to voice his worries. "If everyone is onboard, I will be taking off now. But don't blame me if we run into any monsters."

Kratos nodded. "Understood."

Maxe then pulled anchor and the ship began to slowly move forward.

"Now we can finally go to the next seal," Lloyd said excitedly.

"Yeah!" Colette cheered as she stood by Lloyd's side.

The boat slowly left the main dock and they were soon off into the open sea. Within thirty minutes, there was nothing but water around them. Lloyd and Colette busied themselves at looking at all the different fishes that were swimming along side the boat. Genis just stared into the sea in complete wonderment. Noishe found a nice corner of the boat and spent most of him time sleeping. Raine looked like she was wanted to jump ship at any moment.

It had been years since she had taken to the sea. The last time was nearly ten years ago when Genis was still a toddler. She didn't remember why, but she had always been deadly afraid of the sea. It was like a vortex of death that wanted to consume her and dragged her into its icy depths.

She knew such things were silly, but she couldn't help herself. Which is why she always sympathized with Lloyd's seemly childish fear of lightning. She was thankful that Genis didn't pick up on her fear and he could enjoy what should have been a beautiful and educational experience.

Laughter caught her ears and she looked over to see Lloyd and Colette pointing at something in the water. She gave a small smile as she watched the two played like they had no troubles in the world. Ashamed that these times would soon be coming to an end, forever.

Raine felt her heart sink as she thought about what Colette told her about what would happened at the tower. The student she had helped guide and teach would be lost to them in order to save this world. The ultimate sacrifice to ban the Desians and restore the world's mana.

It hardly seemed fair to ask a girl at the dawn of life to give up her existence. She had always believed in the Church and Martel, but she could hardly understand why such a cruel thing had to happen to someone as sweet as Colette. The logical part of her told her that nothing was gain without sacrifice and it was naive to think that there could be any true happy ending from this kind of situation, but she couldn't help but to want a better outcome. She didn't want to see Colette die.

And what about Lloyd? If he saw this through to the end, could he honestly let Colette go? She half imagined Lloyd raising his swords to the angels themselves if he ever learned the truth. It didn't help that Lloyd would not truly believe that Colette's death would bring salvation to the world. He may believe in Colette, but trusted nothing else from the Church of Martel.

Perhaps she was jumping to conclusions too early. There was still a long way to go before they would be ready to enter the Tower of Salvation and many things could change before they reached that point. At this moment, she could only hope for the best.

The day passed slowly for the group. There was only so much one could do on a ship and the novelty began to run out. Although it was not Lloyd who got bored first, it was actually Genis. Unlike his other friends, he couldn't find too much amusement at looking at fish. So he decided to study up on his magic. He wanted to be able to do more mid-level spells, besides Eruption.

"That is a very good book you are reading." Kratos remarked as he watched the boy study.

Genis lowered his book. "You know what I'm reading?"

Kratos nodded. "The History of Magic Arts was written by a renown elf that decided to share her knowledge with others, especially half-elves."

"This person was an elf?" Genis remarked in surprise as he looked at the author's name. There was no last name given as he read her name. "Malachite."

Kratos gave a far off stare into the sea. "Very few remember her, but she was a woman who devoted her life for the equal rights of all races."

"I thought elves were forbidden to share their knowledge with others," Genis remarked.

"They are, but a few brave souls managed to step out of the confines of their upbringing," Kratos said. "Much like you and your sister."

Genis looked confused for a moment before he began to laugh nervously. "Yeah...but my sister and me were not born in an elven village. Our parents were kind of liberal, which is why we've mostly lived among humans."

"I think that is a good thing," Kratos said. "Elves tend to be too isolated and set in their ways. Which is why I admire people like Malachite."

Genis frowned. "I wonder why I've never heard of her until now."

"Much of her history has been lost to the void of time," Kratos said. "I only know of her through luck."

"I have to research her too one day," Genis said.

"May I ask, why did you decide to master fire spells first?" Kratos asked, changing the subject. "From what I can tell, isn't your spirit symbol that of Celsius?"

Genis eyes widened in shock. "You can tell that? You ability to sense mana is amazing!"

"From what I remember, learning spells from the opposite of your spirit symbol is extremely hard," Kratos said, ignoring the mage's surprise.

"Well, that's why I wanted to master fire spells," Genis explained. "Once you've learned to control the element that is the opposite of your spirit symbol, it becomes much easier to learn magic in general."

"Makes sense," Kratos said.

"That's why I only knew basic spells until recently." Genis began to absently stroke his exsphere. "Usually, elves my age would know several mid-level spells by now."

"Some people are faster learner than others," Kratos said with a note of fondness. "However, magic becomes easier to use when one has an exsphere to aid them. If you keep up your studies and training, you will grow much stronger."

"I hope so," Genis said. "I don't want to depend on Lloyd or you to protect me forever. One has to learn to stand on their own in this world."

Kratos nodded. "Indeed."

"You know, you're very knowledgeable about these kind of things for a human," Genis remarked. "I find it hard to believe that you're not a half-elf at times."

"I grew up with a lot of half-elves," Kratos said.

This took Genis by surprise. "You grew up with half-elves? But you're a human."

"That has little to do with anything." Kratos said. "Humans and half-elves can coexist in peace if given the chance. It is the bias and arrogant point-of-view from certain individuals that make it nearly impossible."

Genis lowered his eyes. "I guess. I just thought everyone would hate half-elves because of the Desians."

"One who studies history will find that half-elf discrimination was in practice long before the Desians came to power. One could even argue that the Desians were born from the seeds of rejection and hatred," Kratos said.

"But the Church says that the Desians were born evil," Genis argued. "They are the personification of chaos itself."

Kratos gave Genis a long look. "If you believe that, there is nothing more to discuss." He then got up and went to another part of the ship.

Genis wasn't sure why, but Kratos looked upset and disappointed by his statement. He was just repeating what he has always been told by the Church. The word Desian even meant chaos in the language of the elves. But what Kratos said seemed truer. Maybe it was easier for him to believe that the Desians were products of their environments than unrepentant agents of darkness. He wasn't sure what to believe.

He decided to clear his head by going back to his studies. He didn't want to think about the Desians anymore.

The day slowly gave way to night and soon the group was sailing under a blanket of stars. It was the first time they had seen the sky in several days and it was a sight Lloyd greatly missed. The stars always brought him comfort, no matter what was going on in his life.

"The stars are so bright tonight," Colette said. "Like a bunch of shiny diamonds in the sky."

Lloyd chuckled. "Yeah."

Colette pointed up at one of the stairs. "That's Volt over there, right Lloyd."

"Yeah, it is," Lloyd said. "Volt, the summon spirit of might and enlightenment. It can also be dangerous if provoke or anger."

"Wow, I would love to meet someone born under Volt one day," Colette said.

"That would be cool," Lloyd said as he looked towards Colette. "Glad you're feeling better. You had me worried when you collapsed at the ruins."

Colette smiled. "Yeah, I'm feeling much better."

"But...you're still not eating as much," Lloyd noted in concern. "I thought once you were well again that you would start eating normally."

"I'm just not as hungry as I used to be," Colette said slowly.

Lloyd frowned. "Colette...you'll tell me if anything was wrong, right?"

Colette nodded. "Of course." Her voice, however, didn't sound that convincing. "We better get to bed. We have to be ready to go in the morning." She then walked towards the cabin everyone was staying in.

Lloyd watched her until she went through the door. He wasn't sure, but Colette hadn't been honest with him lately. It didn't help that Colette showed she could lie without any qualms after what happened at his father's house. Something was wrong, but he had no idea what it was.

Lloyd gave a long sighed as he too retired for the night.

It wasn't until late afternoon the next day that they finally saw Palmacosta in the distance. It looked like a giant castle since all the buildings looked connected together.

"Look at that!" Genis yelled. "That's Palmacosta, the biggest city in the world!"

Colette began to clap her hands. "It's prettier than I imagine."

"Wow, I never seen a city this huge," Lloyd said in awe. "I wonder what kind of weapons they sell there?"

"Is that all you can think about?" Genis grumbled. "Palmacosta has the greatest school where all the great minds of our time studied."

"Not to mention the main branch of the Church of Martel." Colette said. "All the Chosens have gone there to received the blessing of the priests."

"But why would you need the priests blessing?" Lloyd asked. "Isn't the angels' blessing enough?"

Colette turned to face Lloyd. "Well, the angels make everything official, but the priests are to present the Chosen to the people."

"That makes no sense," Lloyd muttered.

"That's because you know nothing of the Church," Genis said with humor. "If you've attended a service every now and then, you would know this stuff."

"Shut up, Genis!" Lloyd snapped.

"You will come to the service?" Colette asked, ignoring the exchanged.

Lloyd rubbed his head. "I don't know. It's not really my thing."

"It won't kill you to go to one Church's service, Lloyd," Genis said. "It isn't like they're going to ask you to convert."

That actually was Lloyd's greatest fear. It was not unheard of for the Church to ambushed nonbelievers in their services and put them on the spot in order to convert them. Although he had never seen it, Dirk had told him more than a few stories about such things happening. He saw no reason for his dad to lie about something like that since he didn't care whom he chose to worship.

"I'll think about," Lloyd finally said.

"Get your things ready," Kratos told the trio. "We dock within the hour."

They all ran towards the cabin, not wanting to hold up their departure. Kratos then looked towards the Palmacosta.

It has been a long time since he has been to this city. He briefly wondered if anyone would remember him. Although he worked as a sailor and didn't interact too much with the other natives, there was still a chance he would run into someone he knew. They did lived within the walls of the city for almost a year.

He had to be careful; otherwise he could blow his entire cover. Things would not be made easier since it appeared that they would be spending several days inside the city.

Kratos shook his head to clear his thoughts and left to prepare for their departure.

* * *

**We finally reached one of my favorite story arcs in the game, Palmacosta. Seriously, this part of the game does not get enough love among the fandom and I hope I do justice to it.**

**E, thank you for your review and I hope to keep reading and sending feedback. To my knowledge the Centurions cannot make pacts, at least not in the same way as a summon spirit. When Sheena talked to Email during Dawn of the New World she wanted to make a pact with him so they could stay in contact, but said nothing about wanting to make a pact with Tenebrae even though they also became close during the journey. The Centurions were also still lock in sleep until the new tree was planted so I don't think they could of helped with the monster tree incident.**

**With that done, until next time and it will not take a month this time.**


	18. Palmacosta

**Yeah, I promise there wouldn't be a month between chapter. See, I an keep a promise. Seriously, thank you all for your feedback and reviews. Glad to see that this story is still getting so much interest after such a long break.**

**Now, onward to the chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 18: Palmacosta**

* * *

Maxed moved the boat in slowly as he docked on the main pier of the city. The first thing Lloyd noticed was just how noisy Palmacosta was. Even before they reached the dock, he could hear people talking and attempting to sell goods. It was the complete opposite of every other town they had been, which tended to be lower key.

"We're here!" Maxe yelled as he dropped anchor.

Lloyd was excited to finally get off the small boat. He wasn't sure if he could spend another day being cramp up with everyone. Noishe was so eager that he jumped off the boat and ran towards the nearest exit in town. Lloyd wasn't too worried. Despite how cowardly Noishe could act, he was more than able to protect himself.

"Thanks, Maxe!" Lloyd yelled. "Be careful on your way back!"

Maxe nodded. "I will, take care!"

Genis looked like he wanted run in all directions. "Where do we begin?"

"First, we should book a room," Raine said. "I doubt we will get much done today."

"Agreed," Kratos said.

"After we get a room, can we visit the Church?" Colette asked.

"We can see what we can do," Raine said.

They all made their through the market place. It was fairly challenging since people were attempting to sell them goods at every corner. The market also smelled even stronger of fish than the entire town of Izoold. Lloyd quickly concluded that he never wanted to live in a fishing town.

"Look at this!" Colette exclaimed as she went towards a stall. It was a blacksmith's store that had a variety of weapons and armor. On display was a pair of chakrams.

"I didn't know you were into weapons," Lloyd said with amusement.

"Well, since I will need to pass more trials, I think I should get better weapons," Colette said.

"A wise decision," Kratos stated.

Lloyd began to shift through the selection. He picked up one of the chakrams and began to examine them. "The steel is okay, but not the best. Do you have any better pair?"

The merchant rubbed his chin. "Let me check." He then began to move through his wares and took out another pair of chakrams. They were a bronze color with white highlights. "These are the best pair I have."

Lloyd took them and carefully looked them over. "They're nice...I guess they will have to do if they are the best you have."

Kratos observed Lloyd carefully. The boy had a good eye for steel. It should come to no surprise since a dwarf who was master at craft raised him.

The merchant nodded. "That will be twenty-two hundred gald."

Lloyd filched at the number. "That's way too much."

"You'll find nothing better here," the merchant said smugly.

Before Lloyd could argue further, he felt Kratos put his hand on his shoulder. "Then, we will shop elsewhere."

"But..." Colette started.

"We can find you a better weapon in another town," Kratos said.

The merchant paled when he heard this. "Wait...I can be reasonable."

Kratos glared at the man. "We will pay no more than eleven-hundred gald."

"That's half the price!" the merchant shouted.

"From where I stand, that is how much they are worth." Kratos said neutrally.

Lloyd nodded. "I agree. My dad could make a better pair for the same price."

The merchant began to grumble under his voice. "Fine, eleven-hundred."

Raine reached into her sack and paid the man. Colette then happily took her new chakrams.

"Thank you, sir," Colette said.

They were once again on their way and finally made it out of the market place. Colette looked over her new weapons in awe to the point that she wasn't paying attention to where she was going. It was at that moment that Raine saw a bit of movement from the corner of her eye.

"Colette, look out!" Raine warned too late.

Before Colette could stop herself, she ran head first into another young lady. They both fall with a loud thug on the hard stone road. A loud crack was also heard as everyone took in the scene.

"There she goes again," Genis muttered with a hint of humor.

"Owww!" the other lady screamed in pain. "What did you do that for!?"

Lloyd quickly helped Colette up, who was blushing in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry."

The other lady stood up, looking more than a little peeved. Lloyd finally had a chance to look her over. She was dressed whether plainly in an orange brown dress with yellow highlights. She had short blue hair that gave her almost a boyish look.

"Ahh, the Palma Potion that we just received!" the woman yelled in horror. Everyone looked down to see broken glass on the ground covered in a pinkish liquid. It had the strong scent of cherries, which now floated in the air.

"Hey lady, that was a very valuable potion!" a man growled at Colette.

Lloyd completely failed to notice the group that the woman was traveling with. The man that had spoken to them was a big fellow with broad shoulders and a gruff looking face. He had long red hair that spiked up more than Lloyd's and battle armor that covered most of his body.

There was also another man who looked much less intimidating than his other companion. He wore an open brown vest and light green pants. His hair was short, greasy, and looked like he hasn't showered in a couple of days.

"How are you planning on making up for this?" the man demanded, snapping Lloyd back to attention.

"Hey numbskull, it was an accident," Lloyd snapped without thinking.

The man gave Lloyd a harsh glare. "What did you say, boy?"

"Boy?" Lloyd growled, reaching for his swords. He was quickly stopped by Kratos, who nearly crushed his arm in his grip.

"I'll buy a replacement potion right away," Colette said, truly feeling bad about breaking their things.

"Replacement potion!?" the man all but yelled in an almost comical fashion. "Do you seriously think that's going to be enough to appease my anger!?"

Lloyd began to laugh out loud. "Oh, come on, now you just sound like an idiot."

"What did you say!?" the man growled as he walked over to Lloyd, getting right in his face. "Do you know who we are!?"

Lloyd gave the man his own death glare. "And I should care because?" he dared, although if felt like his arm was about to fall asleep from Kratos gripping it so hard.

"Why, you little..." the main muttered as he reached for his own weapon.

"You removed that weapon, you forfeit your life," Kratos warned, letting go of Lloyd's arm.

The man backed down slightly after seeing Kratos' death stare that made Lloyd's looked like a kitten in comparison.

"Stop!" another woman yelled. She looked older than the rest of the group and wore what looked like a baby blue witch outfit, complete with a matching cape and hat. "I'd like to leave here as soon as we can. Don't start any unnecessary trouble."

Kratos looked between everyone in the group. From what he could tell from their mana, they were hiding something. From their demeanor, they were no doubt a bunch of thugs.

"I agree," the first woman said in a soft tone as she looked around the street. "Let's just have them replace the potion."

The man nodded as he looked at Lloyd. "You got off lucky this time, kid. Hurry up and go buy that potion."

Lloyd ignored him and turned towards Colette. "There's no need to bother with these bunch of jackasses."

"I agree," Genis said, not liking their attitude.

Colette shook her head. "No, I ran into them, so I have to pay for it. It's the only right thing to do."

Genis sighed. "You're far too kind."

"Fine, alright," Lloyd muttered.

"That's a good boy," the man mocked.

Lloyd felt his body stiffened as he thought of the many ways he wanted to beat that guy.

"Come along, Lloyd," Kratos said, his voice breaking through his anger.

Lloyd finally gave in and followed the group as they went down the opposite road.

"You need to learn to control that temper," Kratos scowled.

"I could have handle him," Lloyd argued.

"That is hardly the point," Kratos said firmly. "One shouldn't pick fights based on emotions. A true swordsman would know that."

"What..." Lloyd started.

"I much agree with Kratos," Raine said, interrupting him. "It was actually quite shameful on how you conducted yourself back there. Remember, your actions are a direct reflection on the Chosen."

"But they started it!" Lloyd all but yelled.

"And you should be mature enough not to continue it," Kratos said. "You best learn to control yourself or else your temper could lead to your destruction one day."

Lloyd finally sighed in defeat. "Fine."

"Here's a store!" Genis exclaimed as they reached a nearby bar. "They may have some Palma Potions here."

"I will go inside since most of you are underage," Raine said as she walked inside the bar.

"Man, the Professor always been picky about drinking ages," Lloyd said.

"Tell me about it," Genis sighed. "Raine nearly went crazy when she found out I had a sip of beer that one time at Dirk's house. I'm surprise Dirk made it out alive."

"It could be because elves have a naturally low tolerance to alcohol," Kratos said. "I read that most alcoholic beverages are forbidden elven cultures."

Lloyd's eyes widened. "Really, I never knew that."

"Neither did I," Genis confessed.

"Man, that's nothing like my dad," Lloyd mused. "I was allow to drink beer since I was fourteen."

Colette frowned. "That's too young for anyone to drink. The Church dictates the proper age to be eighteen."

"Different cultures have different rules," Kratos said. "There is nothing strange about it."

"Still..." Colette started.

Raine chose that moment to walk out of the bar. She had a deep frown on her face.

"No luck?" Kratos asked, although he already knew the answer.

Raine shook her head. "It would appear that there is a Palma Potion shortage."

"Really?" Genis grumbled.

"From what they told me, the plant that is used to make the Palma Potion was in short supple this year. So, only a limited number was made."

"No wonder those guys were so upset about Colette breaking their bottle," Genis said.

"We must keep searching, though," Colette said. "We can't let those poor people suffer for my mistake."

"Poor people?" Lloyd muttered.

"Our only option is to search every store until we find one that sells the potion," Kratos said, not looking forward to the search.

Lloyd growled. "Detta är en sådan smärta i röven."

Kratos stared at Lloyd for a moment, but decided not to lecture him about his language this time.

"Maybe we should spread out to cover more ground," Genis suggested.

"The city is too big and you will more likely get lost, which would waste more time," Kratos said. "We best stay together."

They once again walked across the city and checked every store and bar they came across. Either the store didn't sell the potion or it was outrageously expensive.

"You know, we could possibly get the potion at a discount if we simply told them about Colette," Genis said.

"We can't do that," Colette said. "The potions are rare and I can't advantage of my title to cheat someone."

"They are cheating us, Chosen," Kratos said calmly. "Even at its rarest, Palma Potions shouldn't go pass two thousand gald."

"I'm certain they have their reasons to mark up the price," Colette said.

Raine sighed. "We may just have to eat the cost."

"The least expensive batch we have seen so far would cost one-third of our savings," Kratos said.

"Maybe so, but we can hardly explore the city all day," Raine said as she rubbed her head.

"Let's check one more store before we call it," Lloyd said. He never dreamed Palmacosta could be so big. They must have been to at least twenty stories and they didn't even cross the bridge to see the other parts of the city. Genis wasn't kidding when he said this was the biggest city in the world.

"Here's another store!" Colette exclaimed as she pointed towards a sign.

Lloyd looked up and saw the sign read 'Marble's Items Store'. He blinked for a moment, but quickly put the thought behind him. He glanced at Genis who also had the same expression.

Kratos also glazed in wonderment at the store sign, but for a completely different reason. This was where Anna loved to shop when they lived here. From what he could remember, she had made friends with the shop owner and would visit often. He never personally had the chance to meet the family, so he was in no danger of given himself away.

Raine didn't take noticed of all the odd looks as she opened the door. To her surprise, she saw several Desians standing in front of the desk. The others followed behind her and were also taken aback from the sight.

Kratos wanted to kick himself for not noticing the aggressive auras outside. He had once again allowed his memories to distract him. He edged his hand towards his sword in case things got violent.

"Oh, please, there's no way anyone would sell those to you at a price that low!" a young lady exclaimed at the Desians. She had long brown hair that was tied into a pigtail and wore a yellow and green dress with a matching vest.

One of the Desians growled in annoyance. "You should be thankful that we're even willing to spend money for goods from a rundown shack like this."

The woman glared at them harshly. "I don't need to hear that from a bunch of filthy Desians!"

"Chocolat, stop!" an older woman said, who was watching the fight helplessly. Her hair was also brown but it was a lighter shade than Chocolat and it was shorter. She wore a similar dress from Chocolat except hers were blue and purple.

Chocolat stared at the other woman in surprise. "But Mom, these are the same monsters that took Grandma away!"

Genis felt his blood run cold. No, it couldn't be who he thought it was. Surely, the Goddess Martel couldn't be that cruel.

"You've got some nerve talking to us like that, little girl," the other Desian stated. "You keep that up, and we can't guarantee what'll happen to you or this city."

Lloyd felt his temper rise as he heard the threat. It was just like Iselia.

"Just try it!" Chocolat dared. "As long as Governor-General Dorr is around, we'll never submit to the like of you!"

Kratos raised an eyebrow. So, the old Governor-General was still alive. He thought for certain that his defiant attitude would have gotten him killed by now. Especially since he dared raised an army.

"You little..." the first Desian started.

"Stop!" the second Desian warned. "We'll exceed our quota for this year. We need permission from Lord Magnius to go any further."

Kratos had to keep himself from shaking his head. The season had barely begun and Magnius had already gone over the death quota. If that man were in charge of a smaller region, most of the people would be long dead by now.

The first Desian sneered as he looked towards Chocolat. "Depending on Lord Magnius' mood, you might or might not get to keep that pretty little head of yours!"

He then kicked the counter before they finally left. Kratos watched them carefully until they were completely out of his sight. Hopefully, they wouldn't be returning. Magnius was many things, but he would be foolish to attack the city since he should know that the Chosen would be in the area. Mithos would not be pleased if the Chosen was killed in some random attack.

Chocolat shrugged off the warning as she turned towards her mother. "Well then, I'm off to work now."

The mother rubbed her head in frustration. "Take care." Was the only thing she said.

Chocolat walked in front the desk and strolled passed the group without so much of a glance. Lloyd had to admire how gutsy she was to stand up to the Desians. No one in Iselia would had the nerve to do what she had done. It was actually quite refreshing.

"I apologize for what happened. I'm sure you were startled," the mother said in a calm tone.

"With the Desians around, scenes like this are very common," Raine said neutrally.

The mother nodded. "How sad the truth is."

"Excuse me, miss," Genis spoke up. "But what did you mean earlier about someone being taken to the Ranch?"

The mother shook her head. "That's family business and I don't feel like discussing it."

Genis could hear the hurt and fear in her voice. "I...I'm sorry for asking."

"It's okay," the mother said softly. "Everyone in the city has had a love one taken by the Desians."

Lloyd balled his fists in anger. Those Desians think that they could just treat anyone like their cattle.

"Anyway, please, relaxed and take a look around," the mother said.

"We already know what we want," Raine said. "Do you have any Palma Potions here?"

The mother nodded. "Oh yes, we have plenty."

Raine reached into her sack. "How much will it be?"

The mother reached out and got a bottle of Palma Potion. "That will be one-thousand gald."

"Wow, it's that cheap here?" Genis asked.

"We keep a large supple every year, so we're not hinder by the shortage," the mother said. "I also find it despicable on how some of the vendors are taking advantage of their customers."

"That's really nice of you," Lloyd said.

"It's only the right thing to do," the mother said.

Raine handed the storeowner the money. She then carefully took the potion. "Looks like our patients have paid off in the end."

"Please come back any time," the mother said kindly. "If you need anything, my name is Cacao."

Colette gave a slight bow. "Thank you again, Cacao." They then turned to leave.

"The people of Palmacosta are brave," Genis said as they headed back towards the front of the city.

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah, they're facing up to the Desians and not letting themselves be pushed around."

Genis' eyes became downcast. "I wish I could show this to the people of Iselia."

"It sounds like that person they call Dorr is doing a good job leading them," Colette stated with a wide smile.

"Maybe it would be best to speak to him while we're in town," Raine suggested.

"That's a great idea," Colette said. "Maybe he would know something that could help us on our journey."

After almost an hour of walking, they finally reached the location where the people were still waiting. Lloyd had to suppress a growl as he watched Raine give them the potion.

The man in the battle armor nodded in approval. "Alright then. Looks like you're good little boys and girls after all."

"Arrogant jävel," Lloyd muttered under his breath.

The man looked towards Lloyd, but dismissed his insult. "Just make sure you learn your lesson and don't mess with us again."

"Yes, I'll be careful," Colette said humbly.

The woman in the witch outfit turned towards her companions. "Come on, we're leaving!"

The group began to leave and Kratos could hear them talking among themselves. He focused more closely to hear what they were saying.

"I have to say, that Governor-General Dorr sure was trusting. It's hard to believe he just gave us his family treasure like that," one of the women said.

"So what are we going to do with that anyway?" a man asked.

"You're an idiot. We don't have any use for that thing," the leader of the group growled. "We're just going to sell it to that geezer on Hakonesia Peak who collects old junk."

Kratos suddenly had a bad feeling that they made a mistake letting them go. He was tempted to go after them, but he could hardly explain his action to the others. No matter, he knew where they were going and if needed, he could always chase them down.

"Those guys kind of piss me off," Lloyd grumbled.

"We've noticed," Genis half-joked. He truthfully hated them too. He would be certain to shot a fireball up their butts the next time he saw them.

"We should move on," Raine advised. "We've already wasted enough time."

"So, where to?" Lloyd asked.

"I suppose we should go to the Church now," Raine said. "One of the priests may know the location of the next seal."

"Fine with me," Kratos said, turning his eyes away from the strange group.

It took them quite awhile to cross the city and find the location of the church. It was on the other side of the city and they had to cross several bridges to reach it. The trip also took longer since the streets were always crowded, although it did give them the chance to see more of the city. Unlike everywhere else they have been, all of Palmacosta's buildings were made of stone and brick. They were also several stories and some of the buildings went as high as thirty stories.

"This place is so big, Lloyd said in wonder. "I don't think I could ever live in a city like this."

"Yeah, it's just too crowded," Genis said. "I prefer the quiet surroundings of Iselia."

"Yeah..." Lloyd said in a far off voice. It was ashamed he could never go back there. He could only imagine how Genis felt. He lost his entire home. At least he had something to return to.

"Governor-General Dorr!" a small voice yelled.

Lloyd looked up to see a boy standing in front of an older man who had long golden hair with a beard that went down passed his neck. He wore an expensive looking blue and white rob that seemed to give him an even more majestic look. From where Lloyd stood, he looked like a lion standing on guard.

He finally took his eyes away from the Governor-General and looked towards the boy who was standing in front of him. The boy was in tears and was shaking badly. He was terribly pale. What has happened to this boy?

"Dad was taken away to the Ranch and hasn't come back," the boy sobbed miserably. "Even though I've been a good boy, they still took daddy away!"

Dorr looked down kindly at the boy and knelt down in front of him. He then carefully wiped the boy's tears. "Hang on just a little longer. I made a promise to save everyone who's been taken away to the Ranch, remember."

The boy continued to sob. "But...I'm lonely...and mom..."

"Be strong," Dorr urged gently. "We have all suffered at the hands of those monsters. But their reign of terror won't last much longer. If it's any comfort, know your dad was taking because he fought back against the Desians."

"He...he fought against the Desians?" the boy whispered.

Dorr nodded. "Your dad refused to be a slave to them, so they took him to break the rest of the city's will. However, I won't allow that to stand. I swear I'll rescue them all." His eyes blazed with conviction.

The boy dried his tears and looked up towards the older man. "Then...I will be strong too and wait for dad to come home."

"Good, your mother needs a man around the house to take care of things until he returns," Dorr said with a small smile.

"Thanks, Governor-General," the boy said as he ran off.

Dorr watched him go until he was out of sight and then proceeded to leave as well.

"Whoa, who was that?" Genis asked. That's man speech inspired even him.

"That's Governor-General Dorr, the greatest man in this entire city," an older man answered. They all turned to look at him. "He's recruiting soldiers to fight against the Desians and free our people from the Ranch."

"That man has been through so much," a woman suddenly said. She was standing to the right of the old man. "After losing his wife to an illness, he is raising his young daughter Kilia all by himself. May Martel bless that man."

"As long as Governor-General Dorr is here, we won't submit to the Desians," the older man said with fire in his eyes. "Even if we're carried off to the Ranch, Dorr will come and save us. He's the greatest hope this city ever had, surpassing even his father."

"Is that so?" Kratos muttered.

It was strange that Magnius would allow such open rebelling to build within the city. If there was one thing the Desians pride themselves on, it was crushing hope. Although the previous Governor-General raised an army, he had never openly challenged the Desians' power base. Magnius could have lacks his policies since the Chosen was here, but he somehow doubt it.

"This Dorr guy sounds like a really cool guy," Lloyd said, stopping Kratos' thoughts. "We really need to meet him."

"Let's first go to the Church," Raine said. "Besides, it could be too late in the day to meet with the Governor-General."

They didn't have to walk much further before they came across a giant building that towered over most in the area. Two large wooden doors made the entrance over an archway. Gold trend also outlined parts of the building, making it sparkle in the sunlight.

"This is it!" Colette exclaimed happily. "The Grand Church!"

"Not only that, but the Academy is right next to it," Genis said in excitement.

"Easy children, one place at a time," Kratos said.

Raine led the group towards the Church and carefully opened the huge doors. Inside proved to be equally impressive with several arches lining the hallway and a red silk carpet leading the way towards the sanctuary. Huge windows also lined the walls; giving the hallway an unearthly feel.

"This place, you can feel Martel's presences," Colette said.

Lloyd also couldn't hide his awe at the architecture. It was nothing like the church in Iselia.

They kept moving until they entered the main sanctuary, which had a huge red curtain at the front along with a large golden statue of a woman. There was no one in the room except for one lone priest who looked at them in curiosity.

"Travelers, how may I help you?" the priest asked.

Colette approached the priest and bowed. "Heavenly father, we've come to pay our respects toward the Goddess."

The priest looked over Colette carefully before his eyes widened in recognizing. "Chosen One, don't you remember me?"

Colette looked at him in confusing.

"It's me, Marche," the priest said. "I trained as a priest at the Temple of Martel."

"Marche, oh how could I ever forget you," Colette said happily. "You were one of the people who trained me." She then looked over his robes. "You've became a pastor now."

Marche nodded. "I now priest the good word as the main pastor here. The honor was all mines and I have been looking forward to the day I see you again. You have become a splendid young lady."

Colette gave a deep blush.

Marche then turned towards Lloyd. "I'm surprise to see you here. Have you finally seen the way of the light?"

Lloyd kept a neutral face. "No, I'm here to protect Colette."

Marche gave a deep frown. "I see you continue to reject the way of the Goddess. But you care enough to protect the Chosen."

"Colette is my friend, why wouldn't I protect her?" Lloyd dared.

"Pastor Marche, I was wondering if I could come to a service here in the Church," Colette interrupted.

Marche turned towards Colette. "Of course, it would be my honor to have you. It would only be right since Spiritua herself gave her first sermon at this very church."

Kratos had to keep himself from snorting. That information was completely false since Spiritua was never a priestess and rarely spoke to anyone outside her party. It also made no sense for her to preach here since this didn't become the main Church until after the capital had fell.

"In fact, the story of the first World Regeneration was written down in a book and kept safe by the priests of this city," Marche continued.

"You mean the Book of Regeneration," Colette said in awe.

Raine put her hand on her chin. "Of course, the book was brought to this city centuries ago. I wonder if we could study it."

Genis smiled. "We won't have any problem finding the seals if we had that."

"Currently the Church doesn't have it," Marche said. "It's in the safe keeping of the Governor-General. The soldiers of this city are much better suited to protect the book than us."

"Looks like we have to see the Governor-General after all," Lloyd said.

"It would seem that way," Raine said.

"Thank you for your help, Marche," Colette said as she leaned forward to kiss his hand.

"Anything to help the Chosen," Marche said. "There will be a service tomorrow evening. Bring anyone you please." He glanced at Lloyd as he said this.

"I will," Colette said.

They said their goodbyes as they began to leave the Church.

"We should go to an inn," Raine said. "We can start fresh tomorrow."

"Awww, I hoped we could had gone to the school today," Genis mourned.

"We still have time," Kratos said. "It may be awhile before we can leave this city."

Lloyd nodded. "I got a feeling our adventure here is just beginning."

* * *

**Yes Lloyd, your adventures in Palmacosta is just beginning. Sorry if I didn't move the story as far along as I wanted in this chapter, but the extra content really lengthening this chapter.**

**E, thanks once again for the review. In Dawn of the New World, Tenebrae clearly said that all the Centurions were in hibernation during the events of the first game which is why Tenebrae knew nothing of Mithos and Martel's fate. Tenebrae also never said he was bound to Mithos, just that he simply met him. From what I can tell, the Centurions can only be bound to Ratatosk and I have doubts that Ratatosk ever made a pact with Mithos. I also don't recall a Spirit World ever being mention in either game. As for the Monster Tree itself, I think the game more or less said it happened because the mana given to Great Seed was unstable, but I need to research that a little more since it has been awhile since I played that section of the game.**

**A lot of my theories about Ratatosk and Centurions were covered by me in my first story, Kharlan Chronicles. Your welcome to read it and we can have this discussion and further detail.**

**With that said, until next time.**


	19. Impostors

**Sorry again for missing my chapter post last week. There really no excuse except I was feeling too lazy to post. Nonetheless, the next chapter is here and I hope you enjoy. Also, thank you all again for your reviews, hits, and favorites.**

**Now, to the story.**

* * *

**Chapter 19: Impostors**

* * *

Lloyd rolled several times in bed as he slowly began to wake up. He had thankfully had a dreamless night and actually felt well rested. The shifting and rough motions of the boat didn't exactly ease him to sleep the other night. It was also nice to sleep without the crack of thunder in the background.

Despite his best attempts, however, he couldn't will himself to go back to sleep. He finally sighed in defeat and pushed himself out of bed. He looked out the window and found to his annoyance that the sun was barely rising. The one day he got to sleep late and he had to ruin it. That was just typical.

He glanced down out of the window and saw Kratos leaving the inn. Where was he going at this time of day? Even though Kratos was always an early riser, he rarely went anywhere without Colette. Especially when everyone was still asleep.

With curiosity getting the better of him and Lloyd rushed to put his clothes on, making sure he didn't disturbed Genis in the process since they were sharing a room again. Because Colette was still partly sick, Raine wanted to keep a close eye on her.

Which worked out fine with Lloyd since that meant he didn't have to wake up to see Kratos glaring at him.

Once his boots were on, he ran out the door with his jacket still half hanging off his shoulders. He made it to the exit and ran down the open street until he caught up with Kratos, who was thankfully walking slowly.

"I didn't expect you to be out this earlier," Kratos said without turning to face him. "You could have slept in today."

"Don't I know it," Lloyd joked. He was only meant with silence from his snide remarked. "So, where're you going?"

"I am going to make an appointment with the Governor-General," Kratos said. "Given his status, I doubt he would see walk-ins."

"Oh, I see your point," Lloyd said as he finished buttoning his jacket.

He couldn't think of anything else to say as they walked down the quiet streets. The only people walking the roads were the street cleaners, the mailmen, and the milkman. It was quite the change from the noise and full streets of yesterday afternoon.

They reached the governor's building without incident and were greeted by several armed guards that blocked the main doorway. They were covered head to toe in thick green and silver armor. Lloyd couldn't even see their faces since their helmets completely hid their faces.

One of them moved forward to greet him, but his spear was ready for any surprises. "Who are you?"

"My name is Kratos Aurora and I wish to set an appointment with the Governor-General," Kratos said calmly.

"Just you two?" the guard questioned as he looked between them.

Kratos shook his head. "There are three others who are not with us at the moment."

The guard paused for a moment. "The Governor-General won't be free until two o'clock today."

Kratos nodded. "That will be fine."

"You guys much have quite a job protecting the Governor-General," Lloyd commented. He could tell just by looking at them that they were better trained than all the soldiers in Iselia combined.

"We would give our lives to protect the Governor-General," another guard said with pride. "We fear no Desian force."

"Isn't it tough fighting against a legion of Desians?" Lloyd asked.

"In order to fight against the Desians, we always train," the guard said. "Every afternoon, we are all required to go out into the field."

"That is a sign of a dedicated warrior," Kratos stated as he nodded in approval.

Lloyd paused for a moment. "Maybe...maybe I should train some too." He hadn't practiced his sword skills in weeks. Even though he had seen plenty of action lately, he knew he needed to become even stronger.

Kratos glanced at Lloyd from the corner of his eye. "If you are serious, I will train you."

Lloyd looked at Kratos in shock. "You train me?"

"Is my offer that shocking?" Kratos asked neutrally.

Actually, it was. The arrogant mercenary never stuck Lloyd as someone who would take students. He seemed quite happy being master of the universe. He wondered what the catch was?

"Alright," Lloyd said slowly. Arrogant or not, Kratos had mad skills. He could only benefic learning something from the man. Although, he still didn't like making Kratos' ego even bigger.

"If you want to train under me, you cannot do it with half-ass resolve," Kratos said.

"Half-ass!?" Lloyd shouted.

"Keep the noise down." one of the guards reprimanded. "There are still people sleeping."

Lloyd took several breaths to cool down. "I always give my best in everything I'm devoted to."

"We will see," Kratos said as the turned around and began to walk towards one of the exits in the city.

Lloyd followed shortly behind the older man with stream coming out of his ears. Could this man say anything without ending in some kind of insult? It was like he went out of his way to tick him off.

The worst part was, that Kratos was right in his cockiness. Although Lloyd could tell that he had gotten stronger since he had left Iselia, Kratos could still beat him blindfolded and with both his feet tied. The guy was just inhumanly strong and it was a tough pill to shallow. He could learn a lot from Kratos, even if he was a jerk.

They kept walking until they were way out of the city and in an open field. Lloyd briefly wondered if it was wise to move so far away from the city's limits since they were in monster-infested territory.

"Take out your swords," Kratos cold voice ordered.

Without hesitation, Lloyd removed his two swords and got into battle position. "How is this?"

Lloyd felt very opened as Kratos examined him like he was some kind of painting. Kratos' face was completely blank, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking. Lloyd had to keep himself from shifting under the dispassionate glaze.

"You're wide open," Kratos finally said.

"What!?" Lloyd exclaimed in shock. He thought his stance was perfect.

"Fighting with two swords deviates from the way in which swords were originally intended to be used," Kratos explained. "The difficult increases your vulnerabilities."

If Lloyd didn't know any better, Kratos sounded like he was talking from very personal experience. There was also something else in his voice that he couldn't identify.

"That's weird," Lloyd muttered.

Kratos once again gave him a strange look. "Lloyd, what convince you to take up a second sword?"

"Well, if one sword has the power of one-hundred, then two swords will make two-hundred, right?" Lloyd answered.

Kratos blinked several times as he stared at Lloyd. "...Are you telling me that's why you carry two swords?"

"Yeah," Lloyd said slowly.

That was the only logic that made sense to him. He just felt stronger and more balanced when he used two blades. But he thought simply saying he felt better wouldn't fly with someone as hardass as Kratos.

Lloyd looked up and saw Kratos giving him a look that he had never seen on his face before. "Why...why are you look at me with pity?"

He didn't even know that Kratos could pity anyone, let alone him. It wasn't a feeling he particular liked, especially coming from him.

"I'm sorry," Kratos muttered.

For Kratos, it was hard to believe that Lloyd could pick up his family's fighting style without any prior knowledge and no understanding of it at all. It really showed just how far behind Lloyd was in his swordsmanship. This never would have happened if his father had anything to do with Lloyd. Regardless, one couldn't change the past.

"First off, we need to correct your stance," Kratos said, getting his head together. "Shift your right foot forward and bend you knees more."

Lloyd did what he was told. "This feels awkward."

"That is because you have been doing it wrong for so long," Kratos said. "We need to recondition your body so you will do it the right way without thinking."

"How could I've been wrong all this time?" Lloyd wondered out loud. "This is how the guards in Iselia fight."

"The guards in Iselia are mediocre soldiers at best," Kratos said harshly. "They may be able to stand against the average Desian from a raid, but they would be murdered against anything stronger than them."

Lloyd frowned deeply. He knew the guards in Iselia were not the best, but hearing Kratos' words stung. Did that mean all his training was for nothing?

Kratos observed Lloyd's expression. "They did the best with what they knew and so did you. Your skills were adequate for the opponents you were facing at the time."

Lloyd looked up at Kratos. His voice was softer and gentler than usual. It didn't have the biting critical tone that he usually had when judging Lloyd's sword skills.

"Lloyd, I truly want to help you get better and grow your skills," Kratos continued. "You have a lot of natural talent and I know you can greatly improve, which is why I am so hard on you."

"It's just...you're so freaking better at everything," Lloyd said bitterly.

"Of course I am. I have years more experience than you and have been through countless death matches," Kratos said. "If I was not good, I would have been killed years ago."

"So, you got stronger by constantly putting your life in danger?" Lloyd asked.

"That is part of it," Kratos admitted. "That is not the only way to get stronger, but it is the quickest. Just look at how much stronger you have become since starting this journey. Would you have reached the same level of strength as quickly if you had stood in Iselia?"

Lloyd knew the answer was a strong no. Even as 'weak' as Kratos kept telling him, Lloyd was still able to beat the most ferocious monsters in the forest even before he turned fifteen. Not to mention how he was able to handle the Desians at the Ranch. There was simply no need to get stronger.

"On this journey, you must become stronger or you will die. It is as simple as that," Kratos said. "And since you have something to defend, your death would also forfeit the life of the one you wish to protect."

"I understand," Lloyd said with new resolved.

Kratos' speech also showed him how childish he was being. Here he was being mad at Kratos for showing him off that he had forgotten the reason why he picked up his swords in the first place. This wasn't about him and his pride; it was about protecting his friends, especially Colette who was risking her life to save the world.

Lloyd once again got into position with fire in his eyes. "Then teach me so I can defend those I hold dear."

Kratos had to keep himself from smiling as he looked over Lloyd. It would seemed his words had touched a part of Lloyd's heart. The part that was a natural defender. Despite the promised he made to Lloyd, there was no denying that he had the spirit of a warrior.

Kratos then took out his own sword and shield. "Then, let us begin."

He ran forward and delivered a powerful strike that Lloyd just barely blocked. He attempted to counter by swinging his other sword up to cut into Kratos' side.

"Open!" Kratos shouted as he rammed his shield into Lloyd's face, causing him to scream in pain. Lloyd held back his tears as he got back into stance.

It went on like that the entire morning. Lloyd would attempt an attack and Kratos would punish him for every opening, misstep, or reckless swing. Lloyd thought for sure that Kratos had broken his hand at some point since it had swelled to the size of a grapefruit.

The only good thing about the training session was that Kratos was discipline enough to hit him with the flat side of his blade. Otherwise, Lloyd knew that he would have been cut up like a romp roast by now.

Kratos also seemed to have endless endurance and never got tired. By the end of the practice, Lloyd was panting, bruised, and sweating, while Kratos looked exactly the same as when they had started. Lloyd wasn't sure before, but he knew now. This man wasn't human.

"That's enough for today," Kratos said as he watched Lloyd kneel on the ground. "We will do this everyday at the same time."

"Same...same time?" Lloyd mourned. It was only by some freak twist of nature that he was even up now.

Kratos nodded. "We will practice for two to three hours. Depending on the day actives, we may break early."

Lloyd had to keep himself from groaning. It figures Kratos would turn into a drill sergeant.

Kratos gave him a harsh glare. "What happened to all that fire you had earlier? Had it all already burnt out?"

Lloyd quickly returned his glare.

"I thought as much," Kratos said as he lifted his hand. "First Aid!"

Lloyd felt his wounds close and the bruises lessen, although Kratos stopped short of healing him completely. This was obviously his way of reminding Lloyd of the butt kicking he was just handed. Like he needed a physical reminder.

"Let's head back into the city," Kratos finally said.

By the time they reached the inn, it was late in the morning and the group was already gathered from breakfast. They all looked up when they saw Kratos and Lloyd entered the kitchen.

"So, that's where you've been, Lloyd," Genis said as he took a bit of his eggs. "I thought it was strange you were up before noon."

Lloyd sat down heavily at the table. "I'll too tire to even care."

"I saved you a plate," Colette said as she put a plate full of eggs and toasts in front of him.

Lloyd gave her a grateful smile.

"Where were you two all morning?" Raine asked.

"I went to set an appointment with the Governor-General. He will see us at two," Kratos answered as he drank some orange juice.

"It took that long to do that?" Raine questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"I spent the rest of the morning training Lloyd," Kratos answered neutrally.

Genis looked at Lloyd in surprise. "Your trained with Kratos and you're still alive?"

"Just barely," Lloyd said as he eagerly ate his toast.

"Wow, did you learn a lot?" Colette asked.

"Don't leave yourself open," Lloyd said, rubbing his nose as the ghost of pain returned.

"Do you think we have time to go to the school today?" Genis asked.

"We may after we meet with the Governor-General," Raine said. "I believe the Church service starts around seven today."

Colette nodded. "Yes, we mustn't be late for that."

"Have you decided to go, Lloyd?" Genis asked.

Lloyd rubbed his stomach as he finished his breakfast. He quickly snapped to attention, however, when he heard the question. "Well...I don't think I will. It's just not my thing."

Colette gave him a disappointing look. "I understand."

"Oh come on, Lloyd. This is a special service in honor of Colette," Genis said.

"Such a service could be educational to you," Raine added.

"He made up his mind and you all should respect his wishes," Kratos said.

Lloyd gave Kratos a grateful look.

"But..." Genis started.

"It's really okay, Genis," Colette said with a smile. "I don't want to force Lloyd to go if he doesn't want to. The Goddess Martel would want all her followers to come to her willingly."

Genis sighed. "I guess."

When it got close to two, the group left the inn and headed towards the main square. The streets were now as crowded as yesterday, making it hard to move. Even with the crowds, however, they reached the governor's building with minutes to spare.

Kratos stepped forward to greet the guards. "I have an appointment with the Governor-General."

The guard nodded. "Kratos Aurora, right? Yes, you're right on time."

He then stepped aside and escorted the group into the building. Lloyd was taken in on how big the building was. It was even bigger than the Church with high ceilings and fancy brickwork that decorated the walls.

They kept walking until they reached two large wooden doors and the guard carefully opened them. Inside the room, there were several people. One sat at a large desk that took up most of the room. Another man stood on the far left and looked at them with interest. He had short greenish blue hair with matching eyes. He wore fancy looking yellow and white shirt with pure white pants.

The last person was a little girl whose head just barely came over the desk. She had two long blond pigtails that came over her head and bent forward. She was wearing a cute looking blue dress with white lancing at the front.

Lloyd recognized the one at the desk as Governor-General Dorr. It was kind of unnerving to have those piecing golden eyes staring at him. He didn't know what it was, but he somehow felt different from yesterday.

"Greetings, travelers!" Dorr said in a kind, gentle voice. He then gave them all a warm smile. "May the blessing of Martel be upon those who journey."

Colette bowed. "May the blessing of Martel be upon you as well."

"May I ask where you have come from?" Dorr asked. "Are you on a pilgrimage for Martel?"

"We came from Iselia," Lloyd said. He then paused for a moment as he glanced at Colette. "We're on the journey for World Regeneration."

Dorr's eyes suddenly narrowed and the warm aura around him suddenly disappeared. Kratos felt himself go on guard by the sudden change in the Governor-General's demeanor.

"World Regeneration?" Dorr repeated with an edge to his voice.

"Colette here is the Chosen of Mana," Genis said, not noticing the warning signs. "The Tower of Salvation appeared, right?"

Dorr then turned to look at Colette with a keen eye. "Are you saying that you are the Chosen?" His voice had an almost mocking tone.

"Ah, um, yes. It seems that way, anyway," Colette said with a nervous giggle.

"...Governor-General Dorr," the man on the far left said as he stepped over towards Dorr. His voice was filled with both surprise and what sounded like anger.

Lloyd suddenly had a bad feeling.

Kratos reached over and fingered the handle of his sword.

Dorr looked at each of them before his eyes completely narrowed. "I know, Neil. The Chosen was just here just over a day ago."

"Huh, that's impossible!" Genis exclaimed. "We just got here last afternoon."

"That's because you're not the Chosen's group!" Dorr yelled as he stood up. His eyes seemed to blaze with anger. "How dare you defile that name! Do you know the punishment for using the Chosen name in vain!?"

"There has obviously been a misunderstanding," Raine said calmly, although she knew Dorr was beyond the point of reason.

"These despicable criminals must be arrested and turned over to the Church at once!" Dorr yelled as he reached over on his desk and rang a bell. Within moments, several guards barged into the room and surrounded them.

"Whoa!" Lloyd exclaimed in shock.

Kratos removed his sword without a second thought.

"You can't fight them!" Raine yelled.

"My duty is to protect the Chosen," Kratos said, ready to make the first move.

"Take them to the prison and informed the pastor of what has happened here!" Dorr ordered.

The guards stepped up to them. "Come along peacefully and no one will be harm."

"Like hell!" Lloyd yelled as he removed his own swords.

"Please stop!" Colette exclaimed as she moved forward. She, however, lost her balance and trip on the carpet. Just as she landed, her two wings came out, surprising everyone.

"Wow, father, did you see!?" the little girl exclaimed in awe. She began to clap happily. "She has wings! She's like an angel!"

All the color drained out of Dorr's face as he realized his mistake.

"W…wait, everyone, lower your weapons!" Neil ordered, his eyes were as big as saucers. "This person before us is without a doubt the Chosen of Mana!"

All the guards lowered their weapons and back down.

"Cho...Chosen forgive us," one of them said humbly.

"Please forgive us," another guard said.

Neil turned to look at Colette as she slowly stood up. "There is no mistaking the angel wings that are on your back." He then bowed humbly before her. "Please forgive our insolence, Chosen One."

Colette blushed brightly over all the attention. "Ah, um, please, it's okay. Everyone tells me I'm not very Chosen-like at all."

"But this means…" Dorr muttered. He was getting even paler, if such a thing was possible. "The Chosen we gave the Book of Regeneration to was an impostor!?"

"Wait a minute, you said something about the Chosen coming here already?" Lloyd asked in confusion.

Neil leaned heavily on the desk. "We...we gave our most precious treasure, the Book of Regeneration, to a group that claimed to be the Chosen's group. That book is a record of Spiritua's journey."

"Many priests lost their lives to ensure that book's safety because it is the only document containing detailed records of the World Regeneration," Dorr continued as he fell heavily back into his chair. "It is a precious heirloom passed down through the generations of Governor-Generals of Palmacosta."

Raine looked between the two men dispassionately. "And you say you handed over this invaluable book to a random person claiming to 'The Chosen'?" She then shook her head. "...Unbelievable."

Kratos closed his eyes in thought. It all made sense now. That group they ran into the other day had an aura of guilt around them. Not to mention they said that they were given Palma Potion even though there was a shortage. The person who had given it to them obviously thought that they were someone important. There was also that strange conversation he overheard as they were leaving.

Lloyd seemed to have reached the same conclusion. "Of course, it must have been those guys that were giving us trouble yesterday!"

"How could you allow this to happen?" Raine asked, barely controlling her own anger.

Neil looked shamefully at the floor. "We had received information that the Chosen's group was headed this way, so we naturally thought that they were them."

"Are you stupid or something!?" Genis snapped. "Now what are we supposed to do!?"

"I am terribly sorry," Neil said in deep shame.

"I can't believe this! Do you use your eyes at all or are they just there for decoration?" Genis continued to rant. "You humans are..."

Raine finally had enough of Genis' childish ranting and gave him a had slap on the head that echoed across the room. Everyone flinched when they saw the act. Kratos just shook his head, knowing that the boy did deserve it.

"Genis, that's enough," Raine said firmly.

Lloyd turned his eyes away from the violent scene. "You don't happen to remember the contents of that whatever-it's-called book, do you?"

Kratos inwardly sighed. How could Lloyd had already forgotten the name of the book?

Dorr shook his head. "I'm afraid not. It is written in the language of the angels, so only the priests of the church can read it."

Lloyd sighed. "Looks like we have no choice but to give up since we don't even know where the imposers went."

"They went to Hakonesia Peak," Kratos spoke up.

"How do you know that?" Genis asked.

"I overheard those people talking about it as they were leaving," Kratos explained. "They're planning on selling the Book of Regeneration there."

"Who would buy such a holy artifact of the Church of Martel?" Raine asked, barely containing her disgust.

"It has to be Koton," Dorr muttered.

Lloyd looked at Dorr in confusion. "Koton?"

"He is an old man who lives at Hakonesia Peak," Dorr stated. "He's a terrible, greedy man who buys valuable artifacts from all over the world and put them into his collection. He actually came here a couple times wanting to buy the book from us."

Raine shook her head. "That's terrible. No great artifact of history is supposed to be in someone's private collection."

Kratos had to agree. He only met Koton a couple times, but that was more than enough for one lifetime.

"Then, we have to hurry and get to Hakonesia Peak before they sell it!" Genis exclaimed.

"Such a gesture is pointless," Kratos said. "They nearly have a two day head start on us and we would never be able to catch them in time."

Raine sighed. "I'm afraid Kratos is right."

"Maybe Koton will understand the misunderstanding and let us have the book back," Colette suggested.

"You don't know Koton," Neil laughed humorlessly. "That man deals with thieves and murderers. Stolen property means nothing to him."

"It won't hurt to ask," Lloyd said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"That's true," Raine said with a slight nod.

"Please accept our forgiveness again, Chosen," Dorr said as he bowed. "We have all been foolishness and stupid."

"It's nothing for you to be ashamed of," Colette said. "We all make mistakes."

"We better get going," Raine sighed. "There is nothing more that can be done here."

They all began to file out of the room.

"Bye, bye, Miss Angel!" Kilia yelled as she waved at Colette.

Colette returned the wave as they stepped out.

* * *

**Well, things are finally moving along in Lloyd and Kratos' relationship. Although, I still did not move the plot much. This was still a fun chapter to write, however.**

**Well, until next time.**


	20. School and Church

**Yes, I managed to get a new chapter out before Christmas. I was worried for awhile because I recently started a new project. Yeah, I know I having been given this story the care it deserved lately, but it some times good to do other projects every once and a while to blow creative steam. Hopefully, I will do at least one more update before the end of the year.**

**Anyway, thank you all for the reviews, favorites, alerts, and hit. You keep me going and help keep this story worthwhile for me. Hope you enjoy.**

**Now, onward to the chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 20: School and Church**

* * *

"So, now what?" Lloyd asked as he took in the day's air. He already felt tired and the day had barely begun.

"We still have time before Colette's service," Raine said as she looked down at her brother. "I think we can finally visit the Academy now."

Genis' eyes widened. "Really, alright lets go!"

"I can never understand how someone could love school so much," Lloyd muttered as they walked towards the Academy, which was right across from the governor's building.

Unlike the other buildings in the area, the school was rather plain looking and looked like a regular apartment building. The only reason they even knew the school was there was because of the several uniformed students that stood near school's entrance.

Some of the students stared at Lloyd with interest, since he was the most oddly dressed in the group. Most of the students, however, gave the entire bored stares and a look at him with disinterest. Genis didn't seem to notice any of this as he eagerly went inside.

The interior of the school was just as plain as the outside and didn't have anything that stood out. Lloyd could, however, smell bake goods in the air, which made his stomach rumble.

"Say Genis, you're suppose to go to this school, right?" Lloyd asked.

He remember a while ago that Genis had gotten a letter that had the young mage jumping up and down in joy for days. He heard something about him being invited to some school in Palmacosta, but he just now made the connection to this place.

Genis gave a bright smile. "Yeah, I got a recommendation here."

"You!?" someone exclaimed.

They all turned around to see a boy with large glasses staring at him. He gave Genis the most conceited look.

"A child that small was recommended for the elite Palmacosta Academy?" the boy asked in disbelief.

Another student came in to join the conversation. He had short brown hair that was almost entirely hidden by his school hat. "He was recommended, it took me six tries to pass the entry examination."

Lloyd rolled his eyes. "Maybe it was because you suck. Genis is the smartest person in Iselia." He then crossed and stared at the boys. "He even knows his multiplication tables."

Both Raine and Kratos glanced at Lloyd in disbelief, but said nothing.

Genis let out a loud groan. "What kind of low example is that!?"

"That is high for Lloyd's level," Raine said with a slight sigh.

"But learning the multiplication table is tough," Colette said.

Kratos shook his head. "_What was wrong with these children?_"

The two boys began to laugh at the exchange.

"They say birds of a feather flock together," the second boy mocked. "I'm sure this runt is the same level."

"What!?" Lloyd growled. To say Genis was as dumb as him was below insult. "You're nothing compare to Genis."

The first boy chuckled as he adjective his glasses. "Interesting, are you challenging me?"

Lloyd turned his eyes towards Genis. "Not me, but he will."

"That's easy for you to say," Genis muttered, lacking his usual confidence.

"You should know that I am the highest ranked student in the entire school," the first student said arrogantly. "You are going to regret this later."

The second student rubbed his hands together in glee. "I'll get the tests. Come to the classroom in the back of the second floor when you're ready. That is, if you don't chicken out first." He laughed as he went up a flight of stairs.

The first student looked down his nose at Genis as he walked away as well.

"What a jackass," Genis muttered.

Lloyd nodded. "You say it."

"We should do a little intensive study," Raine advised. Although she didn't care for this type of competition, she didn't care for how those boys had treated her baby brother. A little bit of humbling can go a long way.

"Maybe we could study in the café," Lloyd advised, still influence by the smell of baked goods.

"You just want to eat," Genis said in a deadpan voice.

"Regardless, it would make a good place to study," Kratos said. "I doubt they would let us have an empty classroom."

"That's true," Raine said as they began to walk towards the cafe.

There were remarkably few people inside and it was quiet. Most of the students were reading some type of book or seemed deep in thought.

"Wow, they study even while they eat," Lloyd muttered. This school was far too hardcore for him.

"This is where the best in the world study," Genis said. "Of course they're going to be dedicated." His eyes suddenly became downcast. "I wonder if I have what it takes to beat that guy?

"Of course you can beat him," Lloyd assured in a firm voice. "Don't let that punk get you down."

"He's right, you're really smart, Genis," Colette said.

"But so is everyone here," Genis argued.

"You're worried that you might be a big fish in a small pond instead of a small fish in big pond," Kratos stated. "However, you won't know either way unless you fully challenge yourself."

Genis' eyes widened. "I...I never thought of it that way."

"Just have faith in yourself," Lloyd said with a huge smile. "We all do."

Genis' face-hardened in determination. "Yeah, I'll do my best."

They spent the next two hours preparing Genis for the test. He was quiz from basic history questions to complex math equations.

Lloyd got lost somewhere in the middle of it all. He never really bothered to study anything passed the basics in school. With the skills he had gained under Dirk, he didn't really need advance math or know the history of the Church to get ahead. He only really went to school to be with his friends.

"You should study as well," Kratos advised when he saw that Lloyd was not joining in on the study session.

Lloyd shook his head. "I'm not much good in school."

"If you put as much effort in studying as you do making excuses, you would be a straight A student," Kratos said harshly.

"I don't make excuses," Lloyd growled. "I...I just don't care about school. I'm only interested in a few subjects."

Kratos raised an eyebrow. "Like?"

"Uhmm, PE, Art, Astronomy..." Lloyd started.

"You study the stars?" Kratos asked in surprise.

"Yeah, it's a habit I always had," Lloyd said in a far off voice. "I always loved the stars and the stories connected to them. Especially the one of the summons spirits."

Kratos was silent for a moment. "Does your father watch the stars with you?"

Lloyd gave a short laugh. "Dad isn't really into stars. He never even seen the sky until he left the Dwarf Kingdom."

"Forgive me, I've forgotten your father was a dwarf," Kratos said. "What other subjects grab your interest?"

"Well, I do like some things from history," Lloyd said after thinking about it a little. "Like the stories of the hero, Mithos."

"So, you like to read about Mithos the Hero?" Kratos asked in a neutral voice.

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah, I just find all his entire story to be amazing. I don't know about the stuff with Martel, but he stopped an ancient war that dragged on for centuries."

"The story of Mithos is an amazing story," Kratos said with a small smile. "Even I have been influence by his courage."

Lloyd paused for a moment. He looked worried about something. "Kratos..."

"Yes?" Kratos questioned.

"Have...have you ever heard other stories about Mithos besides what the Church teaches?" Lloyd asked in almost a whisper to keep Colette from hearing.

"I have heard other tales," Kratos said.

"Well...I want to ask you something, but I was told never to repeat it because it was not part of the Church's teaches," Lloyd said in a low voice.

"You should know that I'm not a follower of the Church of Martel," Kratos said.

Lloyd's widened in surprise. "You're not?"

"You have no fear of me rejecting your beliefs," Kratos said gently.

"I...I've never met another. I mean, another nonbeliever besides my dad," Lloyd stuttered in disbelief. "I always kind of felt alone in that way."

"It's understandable since the Church of Martel is the main religion of the world," Kratos said. "It can prove to be frustrating when you don't follow the trend."

"Yeah..." Lloyd muttered. "I just wanted to know if you ever heard the dwarven stories about Mithos."

"Dwarven stories?" Kratos questioned.

"Well, I remembering dad telling me stories about Mithos that I heard nowhere else," Lloyd started. "Like the stories of Mithos' teacher."

"I think I heard of them, but please tell me more," Kratos said.

"Well the dwarves said that Mithos had an ancient teacher who taught him everything he knew," Lloyd said. "They said he was extremely powerful and favored by Origin. They don't give him a name, but a title called Beschermer."

Kratos kept an impassive face. "I've heard of that legend. It also states that he had a sword forged by Origin that could cut through dimensions and he guarded the old Kharlan Tree."

"Yeah, that was the story," Lloyd said in excitement. "How do you know it?"

"I study all cultures and beliefs," Kratos said slowly. "Which is why I believe in the story of Mithos since his legend spans across several different cultures and religions."

Lloyd lowered his head. "I wonder why the Church doesn't want to acknowledge those stories."

"It doesn't fit into their beliefs, so therefore it is wrong," Kratos said. "The Church of Martel has become a closed minded religions who rejects anything they deem corrupts Martel's message. The problem is that the message is interpreted by men, who are too often influence by their own bias."

"Wow, I feel the same way," Lloyd said. "But I just thought I was weird because I was raise differently."

"That is part of it, but being raised differently is not a sin and shouldn't be treated as one," Kratos stated. "It takes all types to make a world."

Lloyd began to smile. "You know, you're pretty wise, Kratos."

"When we have the time, I could tell you other stories I have heard in my travels and even about the stars," Kratos said.

"Really, that would be so cool," Lloyd said as his eyes completely lit up.

"Hey, I'm ready to take that test," Genis said, breaking the mood.

"Alright, let's go!" Lloyd exclaimed as he stood up.

Raine led the way through the school and they went upstairs and found the room where the two students told them to meet.

When they went into the room, they found not only the boy with the glasses, but an older man who wore a standard teacher's robe.

The boy smirked at Genis when he saw him. "Now, the match can finally begin."

"I'm not going to lose to you," Genis said full of confidence.

Lloyd gave a small smile. It seemed that last minute cram session really helped to boost Genis' self-confidence.

The old teacher stepped forward. "I've heard what was going on and in the interest of fairness I prepared the questions."

Raine wasn't sure she liked how this school seemed to encourage such competitions. That would explain the snotty attitudes of some of the students.

"Please, take a seat," the teacher ordered.

Lloyd was about to leave the room when Raine stopped him in his tracks.

"The rest of you will take the test as well," Raine ordered.

"Huh, why me!?" Lloyd exclaimed.

"This will go a good learning experience," Raine said.

Lloyd visibly groaned. He didn't need a test to tell him how much he sucked.

Colette rubbed his back. "You'll do fine, Lloyd."

"I'm glad one of us think so," Lloyd muttered.

Kratos wasn't pleased either that he was being forced to take some mundane test, but decided not to make a scene.

They all took their sits and they were all handed a small book size stack of papers. This kind of test could take hours to take, Lloyd realized in frustration.

"Begin!" the teacher yelled.

Everyone turned the page in their book and began to take the test. Genis and the other boy breezed through the first couple of pages, while everyone else lagged behind. Raine was completely at ease as she took her time and carefully read the material.

Kratos looked bored as he flipped through the pages and quickly did the entire history section. Then, he backtracked and did the math. Thankfully, his formal education he received during the war still held up. No matter how many centuries went by, math would always be math. The science section was almost simple stupid compare to the calculation he had to do on Derris-Kharlan.

Colette bit her pencil as she looked at all the confusion math questions. Like Kratos, she breezed through the history section since it was very much like the Church's teachings. Math, however, had always been her worst subject and some of the problems got very tricky, especially the part about imaginary numbers.

Lloyd was completely lost. He felt like such an idiot as he looked for any question he could answer. So far, only the questions on Mithos and the basic math and science questions were things he could answer. Everything else, he was forced to guess. Lloyd wasn't sure if he lost points for guessing, but after the first hour of staring at his paper like a moron, he really didn't care anymore.

After what felt like an eternity, it was finally over. For better and for worst, Lloyd turned his test in and waited for the results. It didn't take long as the teacher stood in front of the classroom.

"I will announce the results, last to first place," the teacher said.

Lloyd sighed. Great, now his name gets to go first.

"Last place is Lloyd Irving with a score of twenty-five," the teacher said.

Lloyd was expected as much, but the score was actually not as bad as he thought it would be. He could hear, however, the other boy snickering across the room.

"That's your best yet, congratulation!" Colette cheered.

If it were anyone besides Colette, he would had thought they were mocking him.

"Next is Colette Brunel with a score of two-hundred and ten," the teacher went on.

Lloyd blinked in confusion. "Huh, it's not out of one-hundred?"

Genis sighed. "It's out of four-hundred." His voice was not teasing as usual; it was more the sound of pity.

Lloyd blushed in embarrassment. Even for him that was pathetic.

"Kratos Aurion with a score of three-hundred and eighty," the teacher continued.

Lloyd's mouth nearly dropped. How did Kratos get such a freaking high score? Even Raine and Genis gave Kratos a surprise looks. Kratos for his part kept a completely blank face. Lloyd would hate to go against this guy in a game of cards.

"Raine Sage with a perfect score of four-hundred," the teacher said as he nodded at Raine.

Lloyd looked towards Raine and smiled. That wasn't surprising at all. She was the professor, after all.

"Now, I shall announce the score of Genis and Mighty," the teacher said.

Lloyd had to hold back a chuckle. What kind of name was Mighty? Were his parents overcompensation for something?

"Mighty Washington, your score is three-hundred and ninety-eight," the teacher said.

Mighty puffed his chest up in pride and gave a snide glanced at Genis.

"Genis Sages, your score is four-hundred. A perfect score," the teacher said in awe.

Mighty mouth dropped in outraged. "That...that's not possible!"

Lloyd gave Genis a wide smile. "Good job, Genis."

Genis began to blush slightly.

Mighty gave a long sigh of defeat and turned towards Genis. "I have no choice. I'm sorry for making fun of you earlier."

"No, you're amazing yourself," Genis said with a grin. "I had to study hard to beat you."

"I must say, I am very impress with you," the teacher said. "It would be our honor if you stood with us as a full time student with a scholarship to match."

Genis eyes widened in excitement. It was everything he had dreamed. To study in the place where the greats came from.

Yes, do it!" Mighty encouraged. "You'll probably become the most notable genius this school has ever seen!"

Lloyd stared in Mighty in bewilderment. It was a little unnerving how this guy did such a one-eighty from just a few minutes ago. He supposed defeat equal friendship at this school.

"Yeah Genis, if you want to stay here, you should," Lloyd also encouraged.

He would miss Genis greatly on their journey if they had to leave him behind, but he didn't want to stand in the way of his dream. Genis deserves this chance.

The thought crossed Genis' mind, but then he began to realize that he really didn't want to come here, at least not at this moment. It was strange, he talked about going to this school all the time and wanted to come here since the day he first heard of it. He was here and they wanted him, but it didn't have the same lure as before.

He briefly wondered what had changed. He glanced up at Lloyd for a second and realized that he couldn't leave things as they were. How could he go to school and be happy when he helped kill people with his selfish actions? That he had helped kill Marble.

No, he had to see this journey through to the end. By helping with the World Regeneration, he could help bring peace to all those who had die by sealing away the Desians. Also, rather he liked it or not, he would missed his friends too much.

"No, I'm going to go with all of you," Genis said firmly, his mind made up. "I'll go back to studying when the world is at peace."

Lloyd frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Of course," Genis said with a wide smiled

"I understand," the teacher said with a nod. There was a note of disappointment in his voice. "Come back anytime when your journey is over."

Everyone got out of their chair and began to slowly file out of the room. Genis stood behind a little longer to speak with Mighty.

"I don't get it, Genis talked about this school for the better part of a year," Lloyd said once he got outside the classroom. "Why he suddenly changed his mind?"

"Things change, Lloyd," Raine said. "Genis had his own reasons for wanting to do things and we should respect that."

Lloyd said nothing for a moment. "I hope I'm not the one holding him back."

"No one can hold Genis back once he put his mind to something," Raine said firmly. "You should know that better than anyone."

"But still..." Lloyd started.

"You still feel guilty about Iselia," Raine concluded.

Lloyd sighed. "Genis may have been able to live peacefully if I haven't tried to help Marble."

"What's done is done," Raine said in her normal calculated voice. "Remember, Genis also played a part in what happened in Iselia. The burden is not yours alone."

"Ready!" Genis yelled as he ran out of the classroom.

"We should go to the Church now," Colette said. "The service starts in just over an hour."

Raine nodded.

"I want to go and explore the city for a little while," Lloyd said.

Colette turned to face Kratos. "Will you be coming to the service, Mr. Kratos?"

"I will pass," Kratos said. "However, since it is my duty to protect you, I will wait outside."

"Sounds fair," Raine said.

"I'll see you guys later then," Lloyd said as he walked down the stairs.

"Stay out of trouble," Kratos warned.

Lloyd rolled his eyes at that statement as he left. It wasn't like he never been on his own. It was actually felt good to be away from the others for awhile. Especially when they were on their religious kick. He also didn't want to hang around with Kratos all day. Even though, he had grown closer the mercenary since they first met. Something he originally thought was impossible.

He spent most of the time wondering aimlessly around the city, taking in the sights. He could now fully appreciate everything since he wasn't in a hurry. Despite its busy nature, Palmacosta really was a beauty city.

"Excuse me," a voice suddenly said from behind him. He turned around to see a small older lady with completely gray hair and pale blue eyes. "My I asked you, your name?"

Lloyd blinked in confusion. "Lloyd. Lloyd Irving."

"Lloyd?" the girl repeated. "Tell me, is your mother's first name Anna?"

Lloyd's eyes widened in shock. "Yeah, my mom's name was Anna!"

"I knew you look familiar," the woman smiled. "Your eyes and even your hair looks just like her."

"You knew my mom?" Lloyd asked eagerly.

The woman nodded. "I was her maid when she lived here many years ago. I was also her midwife and your nanny for a short time. My name is Iris Gooden."

Lloyd shook his head. "I'm sorry, I've never heard of you."

Iris frowned. "I guess they saw no need. Your parents left here when you were still a newborn." She lowered her head. "They left in such a rush too. Didn't even tell me goodbye to anyone."

Lloyd stared sadly at Iris. How could his parents be so cold?

"How are your parents anyway?" Iris asked.

Lloyd's eyes became even more downcast. "My mom died along time ago. She was murdered by the Desians."

"By the Goddess, I'm sorry to hear that," Iris gasped. "What about your father?"

"I don't know what happened to him," Lloyd said dispassionately. "He disappeared when I was a toddler."

"Although I knew your father only briefly, that man would have to be dead not to search for you," Iris said.

"You said you were a midwife. That means you were there when I was born," Lloyd suddenly said.

Iris nodded. "Indeed. I was the first to see and hold you." She began to chuckle. "You gave us all quite a scare for a moment because you didn't breath for the first few minutes."

Lloyd bit his lips in thought. "Could...could you show me where I was born?"

"It would be my honor," Iris said as she took Lloyd down the street.

* * *

Colette knelt in pray at the altar as the last of the service was being put together. She looked up to see the golden shine of her ancestor, the first Chosen Spiritua. Even today, she was regarded as the greatest of all Chosen.

With only the guidance of the angles, she made her way across the world and conquer all the trials set before her by the Goddess. Then, she rose to heaven to become one with Martel and restore the land to its former glory. That was the legend she was told and inspired to reach. She wanted to be like Spiritua. Strong, resolve, and willing to give her life for this world.

As much as she wanted to be like Spiritua, however, she was scared. She was afraid of what was going to happen when she reached the tower. She knew it was going to happen, but it became all too real when she became sick at the first seal. The power of the angels made her stronger, but at a price. The price being that she could no longer eat.

She tried, but she ended up being sick and spitting it out. It was hard to hide her illness from her friends since they would worry if they didn't see her eat or drink. She wondered what else she would lose before the end. Was she going to lose so much of her humanity that the bliss of nothingness would be a blessing? Perhaps this was all a part of the trial to test her resolve.

Regardless of her fears, she knew she couldn't fail. If she did, the entire world would suffer. Her friends would suffer. Lloyd would suffer.

Colette felt her eyes water at the thought of Lloyd. Why couldn't she reach him? Why couldn't she help him see the truth? She was certain Lloyd would be reborn in the new world, but still she wanted to know for sure that his soul would be saved. If she knew that, then she could go to that tower with no regrets.

She looked towards Martel and prayed for her guidance. She also prayed that Lloyd's anger towards the Desians would also fade with the rebirth of the world. Despite everything the Desians had done, the Church didn't preached for revenge. It preached salvation towards its enemies and those who reject the light. Perhaps the Desians were a force beyond redemption, but she refused to give in to hatred towards them. She prayed Lloyd would see that too one day.

"Chosen, it is time," Marche said from behind her.

Colette could hear the congregation behind her. Unlike a regular Church service, this service was only opened to true believers as dictated by the priests. According to the word of Martel, only the true followers were allowed to behold the Chosen's glory. This was the moment that she was to be presented before the Church as the savior of the world.

Colette slowly stood up and released her wings. This earned a collected gasp of awe and wonderment from everyone. She glanced over to see Genis and Raine smiling at her in encouragement.

"Behold, believers of Martel, the savior of the world has arrive," Marche said. "The Chosen has been awakened."

Colette looked at the people counting on her to succeed. She truly felt the weight of the world, but her mind kept turning back to one and how she wished he were here beside her.

* * *

Lloyd looked at the house in wonderment. It wasn't that big of a house. It was only one story and lost in the towers of the other homes in the area, but it had a more homey feel to it. Maybe it was because of the history that he felt that way, despite having no memories of this place.

"This is where I was born?" Lloyd asked in a soft voice.

Iris nodded. "It was one of the worst storms in Palmacosta's history that you came into the world. Your dad was a fisherman sailing those rough seas that night."

"Really?" Lloyd asked in awe.

"He made it in time too, after we were worry he was killed," Iris said with a small laugh. "But when you were born, it was all but forgotten. Your father wasn't a very emotional man, but I saw him in tears that night."

Lloyd looked down. "What were they like, my parents?"

"Your mother was a tomboy, but she had a strong feminine quality about her. She took no mess for anyone, not even your father," Iris said as she looked at Lloyd. "You look very much like her. As I said earlier, you have her eyes."

"And my father?" Lloyd asked.

"He was cold and aloof to almost everyone but a few, but he was a sweet man once he opened up to you," Iris said. "He was also very duty driven. I didn't get a chance to know him well since he wasn't home that often."

"I see," Lloyd said as he stared at the house a little longer. He didn't know why, but he felt the beginning of tears to build in his eyes.

He felt a step closer to knowing his parents, but even further away at the same time. He couldn't remember them no matter how much the tried. He couldn't remember his mother's warmth or his father's protective embrace. It didn't seem fair that the Desians took everything from him. The mere thought of those monsters made his blood boil. But it wasn't the time for that.

"Thank you Iris for bring me here," Lloyd said softly.

Iris could see his tears. "I just wish I could tell you more."

So did he, but his parents had long since succumb to the darkness of his own mind. They weren't even faded memories. They were shadows of the past.

Sorry if this chapter came off as filler, but there was some character development I wanted to do. I promise, next chapter they will be leaving Palmacosta and I didn't mean to spend three full chapters on this city like this. It just kind of happened.

* * *

**Hey E, thanks for your review. I do not think Dorr gave away the book on purpose. There were other ways he could had messed wit the Chosen's quest without given a national treasure away. Despite Dorr being a politician, he seemed to be overly trusting of people. Then again, the people of Sylvarant in general seemed to be too trusting to other humans. It be because of the them against us mentality they formed because of the Desians.**

**Until next time, have a safe and wonderful Christmas!**


	21. Hakonesia Peak

**Wow, hard to believe that has been almost a month since my last update. Sorry for the delay, but my other project took up some of time. It also takes some time for me to reread some of these chapter since my grammar style slightly when I was the middle of writing this story, so I have to alter a few things. Thanks for all the reviews and hope this chapter was worth wait.**

**Now, onward to the story.**

* * *

**Chapter 21: Hakonesia Peak**

* * *

Lloyd sat on one of the many bleachers that lined the streets of the city. He needed time to think and reflect on today's events. What were the chances of running into someone in this city who knew his parents and learned that he was actually born here.

It was all too much to take in. It was ashamed that he was only a newborn when he was here. Maybe if he was a little older, he could remember something of this place. Of living in a home with both of his parents and playing in the yard. Damn, why couldn't he remember them?

The flickers of lamps got his attention and he looked up to see a person lighting the gas lamps on the streets. Lloyd gazed around and saw it nearly dark. He was so deep in thought that he completely lost track of time.

He briefly wondered if the others were back from the church service. Those things tended to be long, but he assumed they would be leaving early to get to Hakonesia Peak. From what he had heard, the trip to the mountain was at least a three day walk from here and knowing Kratos, he would want to make every hour count.

Lloyd gave a short sigh as he stood up and began to make his way back towards the inn. He still wasn't in too much of a hurry and the night's air felt good against his skin. He also didn't want to worry the others with his negative attitude at the moment.

It took about twenty minutes to reached the inn and, not surprisingly, Kratos was standing by the entrance, staring at him.

"You're late," Kratos scowled. "You are aware we're leaving early tomorrow. Not to mention that you will be getting up earlier than the others to train."

"I know," Lloyd said, not really in the mood to deal with Kratos.

Kratos' face softened for a moment. "What is troubling you?"

Lloyd wondered if he should tell him. Maybe he would feel a little better if he talked to someone about his experience today. "I...I met someone who knew my parents."

Kratos' eyes flickered in interest.

"Her name was Iris and she claimed to have been my mother's midwife," Lloyd said.

"I see, so what did you learn from her?" Kratos asked.

Lloyd rubbed his head. "Not much, they left here not long after I was born. She did show me the house they lived in when they were here." He began to smile slightly. "She even told me my father was a sailor."

Kratos said nothing as he stared at the boy.

"I...I should be happy to finally meet someone who actually knew my parents. That I actually got to see a part of their lives but...it feels so empty," Lloyd said in a soft voice.

"Because you have no emotional attachment to them," Kratos stated. "Your parents left you before you had a chance to build memories with them. The only thing you have of them is what you have been told."

"Yeah, I guess that's it," Lloyd sighed. "I want to remember. I tried so hard to remember the house, what my mother looked like, my father's voice, but I can't!"

"You shouldn't push yourself," Kratos advised. "When and if the time comes, your memories will return on their own. That is, of course, if you have any of them to begin with."

"I think I'll need to rest now," Lloyd said.

Kratos nodded. "Have a peaceful night." He watched Lloyd go inside and marched up the flight of stairs.

He feared something like this could happen. Although, fate was with him sine it was Lloyd who Iris met and not him. He wasn't sure if the old woman would had recognized him, especially since he hadn't aged a day since she had met him, but it was something he didn't want to test.

It was still heartbreaking, however, that Lloyd had to be put through such an emotional moment alone. There was truly nothing worst than forgetting something you want to remember or to remember something that you never truly knew. At the same time, it was better this way. He had no idea how Lloyd would react to the truth.

Kratos cleared his thoughts as he went back inside. He had a duty to perform. It was far too late for any regrets.

* * *

Lloyd was up early, just as Kratos had promised. They went to the same location as yesterday to train. Kratos was as merciless as ever as he took advantage of all of Lloyd's weaknesses.

Lloyd was thrown through the air more than a couple of times and got his ribs busted up pretty badly. He tried not to complain, but this crap started to hurt. The one time he did raised his voice to complain about Kratos' abusive nature, the older man showed him all the ways it could have been worst. When he said worst, he meant broken bones and deep cuts that bled heavily.

"You think your enemy would show any compassion towards you?" Kratos asked coldly as he glared down at Lloyd, who was lying on the ground, moaning in pain. "This isn't a game. In a battle, it is either your life or your enemies."

Lloyd attempted to stand up, but decided it was not wise to get up with several broken ribs. He better remember that Kratos and swords equaled serious business.

"First Aid!" Kratos yelled as a warm wave overcome Lloyd's broken body. He felt his bones mend, easing the pain of the trauma, although the shadow of pain was still there. "Now, get up and try again."

After another hour of training, Kratos called it for the day. He needed Lloyd still somewhat able to travel today and his healing arts had their limits. Nonetheless, he knew Lloyd got his point.

Lloyd was lucky in the sense that Kratos had bothered to heal him. There were more than a couple of times when his father or even Cryus had broken bone during a train session and he was told pretty much to suck it up.

The only part of the body that was off limits during those sessions was his hands since snapping bones in the fingers could mean the end of any swordsman.

Nonetheless, Lloyd was not too please with walking back to the inn with a limp. His mood brightened, however, when breakfast was served. Chatting with his friends also made him forget about the beaten he had received.

Once breakfast was done, they were on their way out of the city. As they were leaving, the group saw a familiar face passed them by on the street.

The girl stopped in her tracks when she saw them. "Oh, you're the ones that came to our item shop a couple days ago, aren't you?" the woman asked.

Lloyd quickly realized that it was Chocolat, the shopkeeper's daughter. "Yeah, that was us."

Chocolat put her head down in shame. "I'm sorry about what you saw earlier, I tend to lose all patients around the Desians."

Lloyd gave a short chuckle. "Believe me, I know the feeling."

Genis frowned at the girl. "That was cool what you did the other day, but are you sure you're going to be okay? Those guys might not hesitate to destroy this entire city."

Chocolat waved her hand dismissively. "They reached their designated death count over a month ago. We're safe until next season."

Kratos decided it was best to hold his tongue on her naive statement. The other Grand Cardinals may honor the death quota, but Magnius often broke it since he despised humans disrespecting his power. One year, he went over double the designated amount because some human mouth off to him during one of his raids.

"So this city hasn't signed a non-aggression treaty," Raine stated.

"Iselia's the only place with a treaty like that," Chocolat said, although the tone of her voice told him that she didn't think too highly of the small town. "Although there are many who envy it, I don't want any part of a treaty that panders to the Desians."

Lloyd understood that all too well. He remembered how full of rage he was when he learned the truth from Dirk and how he had came to despise the non-aggression treaty.

At the same time, however, he now saw how it protected the village when the Desians burnt it everything down. He would hate to see the same thing happened here.

"In either case, the Desians' rule will be coming to an end once the world is regenerated," Chocolat said, but something in her voice made it sound forced. "But, while we're waiting for the regeneration, I recommend that you follow Martel's teachings and go on a journey."

"Well, we're kind on a journey," Genis said.

"Oh, well then forget what I said," Chocolat laughed.

"That was kind of random," Lloyd stated.

"Sorry, it's part of my job," Chocolat said with a chuckle. "I've been at it so long that it kinds of just flows out now."

"Then we shouldn't be keeping you any longer." Raine said.

"Where are you heading?" Chocolat asked

"To Hakonesia Peak," Genis answered.

Chocolat gave them an odd look. "You're going there without being part of a pilgrim tour?"

"Why do we need to be part of a pilgrim tour?" Lloyd asked.

Chocolat shook her head. "It's nothing. I wish you luck on your journey." With that, she was turned to leave.

"What was that about?" Genis asked.

"It doesn't matter," Raine said. "We already wasted enough time here talking. Remember, it will take us several days to reach the peak."

"Agreed." Kratos said as he led the group out of the city.

Even though they had been in Palmacosta for only a few days, it felt weird traveling again. On a good note, it was a nice sunny day and the weather was cool. They didn't get too far from the city when a howl caught their ears.

"Oh, Noishe!" Colette exclaimed happily.

The dog came running forward and happily greeted the group. Lloyd patted the dog lovingly.

"Hey, I see you've been taking good care of yourself," Lloyd chuckled.

Noishe appeared to be chuckling as he licked Lloyd face.

After all the greetings were finished, they were back on the road again. Once the first two hours of walking had passed, Genis was riding Noishe, per usual. Kratos did notice, however, that the boy's endurance had increased since he usually couldn't walk after the first hour.

Lloyd and Colette were in their own little world playing games and talking about a variety of random topics, while Raine read one of her books. It was quite impressive that she could be so aware while so engrossed in her readings. Kratos briefly wondered if it was a trait shared by all half-elves.

It was near late afternoon when they reached the House of Salvation. By that time, everyone saved for Kratos were sore and tired. Lloyd was ready to sit down and relax, especially since his body still hadn't full recovered from Kratos' abused that he called training. Despite the man's cold demeanor, he had a sadistic nature.

When they got inside, they were all in for a pretty big surprise. Kneeling before the Spiritua statue was none other than the assassin from the Ossa Trail.

"…lla will suffer. Please, help me save everyone," the assassin said in pray. Her voice sounded conflicted for some reason and didn't have the decisive edge as before.

Lloyd found it odd that a girl who had tried to kill Colette would be praying to Martel inside holy grounds. It sounded like an oxymoron to what to kill the Chosen, yet worship Martel.

"Hey, what are you praying for?" Lloyd asked the woman.

"So I can save everyone," the assassin answered without thinking. Her head shot up as she recognized the voice. She immediately stood up and faced the group. "What..."

"Well, there's a nice thought," Lloyd said with a smile. He knew someone wouldn't kill Colette over malice reasons.

"Sh...shut up!" the assassin stuttered. Her face was nearly completely red.

"My name's Lloyd. What's yours?" Lloyd asked in a pleasant voice, remembering the request Colette asked of him after they first met the assassin.

The assassin lost all her anger as she stared at him. "What?"

"Lloyd?" Genis questioned as he looked towards his friend. He couldn't understand why he was suddenly being so nice to someone who actively tried to murder Colette.

Colette followed Lloyd's lead and gave the assassin a warm smile. "I'm Colette. I'm still inexperienced as a Chosen, but I promise I'll do my best and regenerate the world."

"I never asked you for your names!" the assassin yelled as she looked between the two teenagers like they had lost their minds.

Colette back down and looked to be near tears. "Oh, you're right. I'm sorry."

The assassin's face softened and she looked like she had just kicked a puppy. "I…I'm trying to kill you!" she yelled halfheartedly. Apparently, Colette's sweet nature had withered her resolved somewhat.

"I know," Colette said with a nod of her head. "But if we just talk, I'm sure we can come to an understanding."

The assassin's mouth dropped in disbelief. It would have been humorous and any other situation.

Kratos looked at the scene with great interest as the assassin appeared to put herself back together. He wondered why the Renegades would send someone like her to do this job. She maybe skilled, but she was a poor choice for an assassin with her lack of resolved.

"Are you listening to me!?" the assassin finally snapped.

"I'm listening. But um… Ms. Assassin…" Colette stuttered, trying to find the right choice of words.

The assassin seemed to sigh in defeat. "It's Sheena! Sheena Fujibayashi!"

Kratos' eyes widened for a moment. Fujibayashi, wasn't that the last name of the Mizuho chief? Could that be the reason why she was sent here?

"Sheena, you were praying," Colette said as she put her hands together. "Praying makes one's heart grow. I pray too, so I'm sure we can understand each other one day."

"I…I was praying that I'd be able to kill you," Sheena muttered. She began to shake her head violently. "Forget it, I lost my concentration! You'd better be ready next time!"

She dropped something on the ground and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Whoa, where she go!?" Genis exclaimed in disbelief. "I didn't feel her use magic."

Raine frowned. "I've heard about a trick like this, but..." She paused for a moment. "Along with those clothes."

"What is it?" Kratos asked, deciding being blunt was the best way to go.

"The clothes that assassin was wearing and her demeanor, don't you think they were rather...unique?" Raine asked carefully.

Kratos was really starting to wonder if Miss Sages was truly born on this world. Now that he thought about it, wasn't there a girl in Heimdall who had Raine's name? That wasn't exactly a common name, even among elves. For some reason, he couldn't remember what the girl looked like at the moment.

"I know, I bet they're dwarven clothes!" Lloyd suddenly exclaimed.

Kratos glanced at Lloyd. "What?"

"The ones I'm wearing now were made by my father," Lloyd continued as he pulled on his jacket. "Well, don't they look kind of similar?"

Kratos gave Lloyd a blank look.

"Wow Lloyd, you're so smart," Colette said awe. "Do you think she was raised by dwarves too?"

"You call that similar?" Genis asked in a deadpan voice.

"Is this what happens when one is raised by a dwarf?" Kratos asked out loud.

He suddenly remembered Phaidra's words about Lloyd being odd. He certainly was different, but his statements at times boarders on outrageous. Then again, Lloyd and the Chosen did tend to live in an alternative reality.

"We should get some rest," Raine finally said. "We still have a long day of walking a head of us."

With nothing more to say, they all called it a night.

The next morning was much the same. Lloyd trained with Kratos for two hours, breakfast was eaten, and they were on the road again. The next two days passed without incident except for a few monsters encounters. To prepare the kids for battle, Kratos hung back more and just offered support while Lloyd, Genis, and Colette did most of the fighting.

Genis had become stronger and could do another mid level spell besides Eruption. Lloyd's sword skills had also improved since they had started to train and he was able to keep form even during heavy battle. He also began to experiment again and came up with some new techniques. Most were still sloppily done, but he was slowly improving. The Chosen had also improved, although her true strength wouldn't show through until she broken more of the seals. All and all, Kratos was pleased with their progress.

Lloyd almost jumped up and down when he saw the mountain peaks rising in the distance. After all these days of walking and seeing the same boring countryside, it was nice to have a change in scenery. He also noticed a change in the weather since it got colder to the point that it felt like early winter.

"Man, why is it so cold all of the sudden?" Lloyd asked.

"The air is cooler on this side of the mountain," Genis stated. "It will get even worst once we cross the mountain."

"We may have to buy a jacket for Genis," Raine said. "He's current clothes are ill suited for this region."

"Oh come on Raine, I'll be fine," Genis whined.

"I don't want to risk you getting sick," Raine said firmly.

"We still have time before we have to cross the mountains," Kratos said. "There is no hurry to buy new clothes."

"I suppose you're right," Raine said after a moment of thought.

"I wonder what's on the other side of the mountain?" Colette wondered out loud.

Raine's eyes lit up. "Over Hakonesia Peak lies the greatest city in the entire world, Asgard."

"Asgard?" Lloyd repeated.

"Where have you been Lloyd, it's just one of the oldest city in the world," Genis said with an eye roll. "Not only that, it has the most intact ruins in Sylvarant. In other words, Raine dream city."

Lloyd laughed. "Yeah, that sounds like Professor Raine's dream vacation. She always had a thing for old, dusty..." He got slapped upside the head before he could say more. "Ow...what did I say?"

"Show some respect," Raine scowled. "Asgard is a gem that shows us one of the last great civilizations. Not even the Sylvarant Dynasty has been left in such good shape. You really need to study more."

Lloyd looked horrified. "Oh come on, Professor, you already have us studying everyday since we've been on this journey."

"Well, apparently none of it is sticking," Raine scowled.

"Lloyd is too dumb to learn," Genis teased. This earned him a slapped on the back of the head.

"There is no such thing as a student too dumb to learn," Raine said firmly. "All students are capable of learning if given the right motivation."

Lloyd wasn't sure if he should be happy with Raine sticking up for him or scared since that meant she was going to try twice as hard to get him to study.

Within another hour, they reached the entrance of Hakonesia Peak. The first thing that caught Lloyd's eye was that the place was covered in junk. All over the grass were statues, strange rocks, and other stuff that Lloyd couldn't identify.

"Looks like this guy Koton has been busy," Genis said in a deadpan voice.

Raine took a closer examination of one of the statues. "These are not very rare and would only fetch a small profit. I think Koton's collections has gotten so big that he was eventually force to keep his less valuable stuff outside."

"It does make sense," Kratos said.

They kept going until they reached a small house that was on the side of the main road.

"Should we knock?" Colette asked.

Lloyd shrugged. "It couldn't hurt."

Colette went towards the door and knocked softly on it.

"Come in!" a cranky, gritted voice yelled.

They walked in, but Lloyd nearly tripped on something that was on the floor. Lloyd looked around and saw that the house was just as junky as the yard. There was so much stuff that it blocked most of the house up and only left a small room for anyone to live in.

Raine managed to push herself ahead of the group and got a better look of the collection. It didn't take her long to realize that there were some real treasures piled into the house. Koton, however, had taken very poor care of most of the stuff and some were covered in cobwebs, dusty, and even broken.

Raine had to fight down her anger not to go over to Koton and crack his skull open. How dare he treat these world treasures like trash? She thought as a collector he would at least take good care of his stuff. But no, it looked like Koton collected things just for the sake of having them.

"Excuse me sir," Colette started politely.

"If you're looking for road passes, it's one-hundred thousand gald per person," Koton cut off.

"What kind of prices are those!?" Lloyd yelled anger. "That's robbery!"

"Silence, boy!" Koton sneered. "I'll have you know, I hate men!"

Lloyd was about to give him another reason to hate men when Raine stepped in front of him. "That means even those on pilgrimages with the Church of Martel can't make it past here," she observed.

Koton licked his lips eagerly when he saw Raine. "Oh, my, you're quite the beauty."

Genis had to keep himself from physically cringing. If he didn't stop looking at his sister like that, he was going to roast this crusty old man.

"If you're on a pilgrimage, you should join in the Asgard ruin tour at the Palmacosta travel agency," Koton said once he finished looking over Raine.

"Hey, you're in cahoots with the travel agency!" Genis exclaimed.

Kratos glared at the old man. So, he went through with his plan and even got the governments of Asgard and Palmacosta involved. Now he understood why Chocolat looked at them funny when they said they weren't part of a pilgrim tour group.

"Oh, shut up! If you don't have any money, then get out of here!" Koton snapped.

Lloyd moved from behind Raine. "Listen you little..."

"Is that..." Colette suddenly said as she looked over an old book that was sitting on a stand next to Koton.

He turned around and began to eye Colette. "Oh, my beautiful maiden, you have good eye!" Koton cooed.

"Pervert," Genis muttered under his breath.

"This here is something I purchased from the Chosen of Mana," Koton said proudly. "It's a very rare scripture record that record that contains the Legend of Spiritua!"

Raine went over and examined the book closer. "Indeed, this is beyond the doubt the Book of Regeneration."

"I've been wanting to get my hands on this for ages!" Koton exclaimed as he practically jumped on the balls of his feet. "I'd just about given up on Dorr ever letting go of it. It was very fortunate that the Chosen herself was willing to part with it and at such a low price too! I would had to pay a king's ransom if I tried to buy it off of anyone else!"

Raine felt her fist balled. Those imposers couldn't even sell the book at its proper price. Have they no respect for the value of history?

Lloyd looked at the man gloat over his new treasure. It was pointless to ask for it back, being that he was such a jerk. "Can you let us look at it for a bit?"

"You've got to be kidding!" Koton yelled as if Lloyd had asked him to throw the book into a furnace. "Why should I have to show it to you people!?"

Genis rolled his eyes at how stupid Koton was being. "Oh come on, Colette is the Cho..."

Raine smacked him before he could finish. "We'll be the ones treated as impostors," she whispered harshly into Genis' ear.

"Th Cho...?" Koton repeated in confusion.

"The Chosen of Mana's devout follower. She wishes to view articles that the Chosen has possessed," Raine said calmly. "Colette is a faithful believer and is versed in the language of the angels."

"Ah, yes, that's right," Colette said as if she just suddenly remembered herself. "I've studied it since I was a child."

Koton rubbed his chin in thought. "Well, if it's that important to you, the maiden and beauty can have a look at it."

Lloyd couldn't believe that actually worked. He thought for sure Koton would ask for something in return.

As if reading Lloyd's thoughts, Koton began to smile. "More than anything, I want the Spiritua Statue that is displayed in the House of Salvation near the sea. Among all the statues made, it's the only one left that actually dates back to the time of Spiritua. If you bring me that, I'll consider showing you the book."

"_Figures,_" Lloyd thought.

Genis didn't bother to hold his opinion. "You're so stingy! Like it costs you anything to just let us look at it."

Koton glared at the young elf. "Shaddup, Get the heck outta here if you don't have money and don't have the statue!"

Genis raised his kendama, ready to keep his promise and roast Koton. Raine quickly stopped him and pulled him out of the house. Seeing nothing more that could be done, the others followed behind them.

"Genis, what were thinking!?" Raine scowled the boy outside. "You could had damage the book or the other valuables inside!"

"The guy is acting like a stingy jerk!" Genis argued back.

"Seriously, what's that avaricious old geezer's problem?" Lloyd asked in disgust.

"Oh my..." Raine stuttered in shock.

Lloyd didn't like the look Raine was given him. "Wh...what is it, Professor?"

"I can't believe you know the word avaricious!" Raine exclaimed happily. She looked to be near tears.

"Professor..." Lloyd muttered in confusion.

"And you used it properly too! That's fantastic!" Raine praised.

"Y...you don't have to praise me that much," Lloyd stuttered while blushing deeply.

Kratos looked at the scene before him in confusion. "Is it that rare for Lloyd to use a big word?"

"Lloyd wasn't too good at the common language when he was younger," Colette explained. "He used to mix words with dwarven very often."

"It wasn't my fault," Lloyd said defensively. "The common tongue wasn't dad's first language, so he does the same thing. I just kind of...picked it up..."

"It is nothing to be ashamed of," Kratos said, much to Lloyd's surprise. "It can be tough to learn a second language."

"Maybe so, but Lloyd was pretty hard to understand," Genis said. "It took him seven years of school to become as good as he is."

"Håll käften eller jag kommer att ligga dig till hund," Lloyd said to Genis.

Raine gave him a disproved look and Kratos choose to ignore the remark. Noishe on the other hand appeared to giggle at the comment.

"So, do we go to the House of Salvation by the sea?" Colette asked.

Raine sighed. "We may not have any choice."

A commotion at the side of the road got Kratos' attention. They sounded worried and scared.

Lloyd noticed the same thing and went into the heart of the chaos. "Hey, what's going on?"

One of the women looked at Lloyd. "Oh, you don't know?"

"Know what?" Lloyd asked in frustration. The other came towards Lloyd to listen to the conversation.

The people began to all look at each other nervously.

"You all would be better off waiting here for a while," a man said slowly. "No matter what, you should stay away from Palmacosta."

"Did something happen in Palmacosta?" Colette asked in worry.

"It seems the Desians are headed towards the city," a woman said gravely.

"What!?" Lloyd exclaimed.

"The Desians, why?" Genis asked.

"The Desians don't need a reason to do evil," another man said with hatred in his voice. "Plus, they say the leader of the nearby Human Ranch, Magnius, is among them."

Kratos gripped his fists. It was just as he had feared. If Magnius was with them, a lot of people were going to die.

"Magnius..." Lloyd repeated in hate.

"We're going to wait here until things cool down," someone said. "Hopefully, the death toll will be low this time."

"We can't just stay here and let this happen!" Lloyd yelled.

"Yes, we have to help them," Colette said in a near panic.

"Don't be foolish," Kratos scowled. "A Desian legion is bad enough, but a Grand Cardinal is with them."

"But people are going to die!" Lloyd argued.

"And you would put the Chosen at risk for your own revenge?" Kratos questioned coldly, stopping Lloyd in his tracks. "The city of Palmacosta has its own army to take care of the Desians. We should continue on our journey."

"I can't," Colette said in a meek voice. "I can't abandon Palmacosta like this. Not when I can help."

"Kratos is right in this," Raine said firmly. "Things like this will just continue anyway until the Desians are banished."

'Well, I'm with Lloyd and Colette," Genis spoke up. "We have to gto back to Palmacosta before they destroy everything."

Kratos sighed. "Even if we leave now, we will never make it on time. The Ranch is only a day's walk from Palmacosta."

Lloyd gripped his fists in frustration. "Damn..."

"Sorry, but I couldn't help overhearing your conversation," a woman said as she stepped towards the group. "I have horses you can use to get back to Palmacosta in time."

"What, really!?" Lloyd exclaimed in surprise.

"They are from the tour group," the woman continued. "They're the fastest breed we have in the area and should get you back to Palmacosta in least than a day if you hurry."

Raine turned towards the lady. "Your offer is kind but..."

"I know it is selfish, but I have a son and grandchildren back in Palmacosta," the woman said. "I...I heard this young woman was the Chosen." She looked directly at Colette.

"And you want the Chosen to save your family," Kratos concluded.

"I know this sounds selfish, but please help my family," the woman said as she fell to her knees before Colette, surprising Lloyd and Genis. "They are the only people I have left in the world."

Colette looked to be near tears as she turned to face Kratos. "I respect your concerns for my safety Mrs. Kratos, but I'm going back to Palmacosta."

Kratos knew by the conviction in her voice that she was beyond reasoning at this stage. If he held her back, she would resent him and would be harder to control throughout the rest of the journey. Magnius' was an undisciplined fool, but he surly would not risk harming the Chosen. If he saw her, he may back down from his rage.

"Very well," Kratos conceded.

Lloyd went to pick the woman off the ground. "We will go to Palmacosta and put an end to the Desians. That I swear."

The woman bowed. "Thank you, I'm forever in your debt. The Goddess Martel has heard my prayers."

"Where are the horses?" Kratos asked.

The woman pointed to an opened field. "Over there. They should be about four of them."

Kratos nodded. "Miss Sages, you ride with your brother while I ride with the Chosen. Lloyd, you can ride by yourself."

"But...I never rode a horse before!" Lloyd exclaimed in horror.

"You want to save the people at Palmacosta, you better learn," Kratos said firmly.

"If we're going, we must hurry," Raine said as they all ran towards the field.

They soon came across four brown and black horses grazing in the field. Kratos picked the black one and helped Colette into the settle. Raine did the same for Genis before she too hopped on the animal. She had obviously ridden a horse before.

Lloyd had a harder time getting on and didn't feel conformable on the high horse.

Noishe whined as he watched them all settle up.

"Noishe, go the House of Salvation by the sea and meets us there," Kratos advised.

Noishe barked several times.

"We will be fine, just go," Kratos said as kicked the horse and it took off. Raine followed shortly behind him. It took Lloyd a moment to figure out how to kick a horse off, but when he did he too was gone.

Noishe whined worriedly as he watched his friends rushed off to the city.

* * *

**As promise, I got them out of Palmacosta, only for them go right back. Although, you can blame the game for that last bit. We get some action next chapter.**

**Until next time.**


End file.
